A family law barrister is the one who provides specialist legal advice and representation in cases involving family matters in the UK. His role is different from that of a solicitor’s on several levels, starting with the fact that the barrister is the one who takes action only when or if presenting before court is needed. The family law solicitor is the first one to get in touch with the client who is interested in finding a solution for a family law issue, however, the family law barrister is the one who will act on the highest level and will structure the case as needed to succeed in court and obtain the most suitable result for the client.
Our family law barrister works closely with our specialized solicitors and together, our team delivers proper and tailored services in all areas related to family law.
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What are the main differences between barristers and solicitors?
Simply put, the barrister is the one who represents clients in court in family law cases while solicitors offer legal services mostly out-of-court through a law firm. Nonetheless, there are exceptions in both these cases as solicitors may also represent clients in court, as needed.
Both the family law barrister and the solicitor are advocates for clients who are looking for solutions involving family law matters such as custody, domestic violence, adoption, inheritance and the division or goods.
A significant difference between barristers and solicitors lies in their post-academic training: the first will take a Bar Course Aptitude Test, join an Inn of Court and then take the Bar Professional Training Course, followed by vocational training. He then becomes an unregistered barrister until the final step, applying for a Practising Certificate and starting his career.
The Bar Standards Board is the regulatory for barristers in England and Wales and according to this source, there were more than 17,000 barristers in practice in 2020. Other data shows the following:
- in 2019 there were 16,983 practising barristers;
- out of the total practising barristers in 2020, 10,426 were men;
- according to age, the majority of all practising barristers in 2020 had aged between 35 and 44;
- there were 13,502 self-employed barristers in 2020, an increase from 13,434 in 2019.
Self-employed practising barristers work alone as sole practitioners or in chambers.
If you require the services of a lawyer, as opposed to those of a barrister (for representation in magistrate’s courts as opposed to the higher courts as it is common for barristers), our team of specialists can help you. Our divorce lawyer in London can provide legal guidance, as well as court representation, should this be needed during your divorce proceedings.
Whom should I contact for my case?
You should reach out to our family law barrister as soon as you determine that you need legal representation in court. This is particularly important in complex cases when the client is very likely to seek legal advice, for example in child custody situations or in those involving domestic violence or abuse.
Both our solicitors and barristers are able to provide you with complete legal assistance, however, reaching out to us for an initial case evaluation is always advisable. Together, we will be able to determine your particular needs and appoint our family law barrister should your case go to court.
Cases that are not as likely to go to court, perhaps those involving prenuptial agreements, can be handled by our family law solicitors who have the adequate Family Law training and experience to assist in cases of varying complexities.
How can your family law barrister help me?
Our team is able to handle a wide range of issues related to family law. The cases are varied and present different particularities and challenges according to the client’s background and situation. Some situations ask for a high degree of effort and attention, such as those involving domestic violence against children. The duration of each case also varies, and some situations may take longer to solve through court proceedings than others.
Below, we list a few of the fields in which our barrister can provide legal representation:
- Child custody: a family law barrister can provide much-needed assistance in child custody cases that are taken to court (involving child maintenance, visitation rights and other issues related to child welfare);
- Divorce: a barrister will represent the client in court and can start the legal proceeding on behalf of their client; the aid provided by a barrister in divorce cases can be particularly important for the division of assets;
- Adoption and surrogacy: legal representation throughout the adoption process when the adopting parents meet unexpected opposition during the process;
- Domestic violence: legal representation in court, particularly in severe cases in which the state needs to intervene to take the child into care.
Contact us for more information about the services offered by our family law barrister.
