Tanfield accepts direct instructions from professional individuals and organisations who either hold a licence issued by the Bar Standards Board or are a member of a professional body which has been recognised by the Bar Standards Board. Guidance on licensed access can be found on the Bar Council’s website.
If you would like to discuss instructing a member of Tanfield, please use our Licensed Access enquiry form.
Fees
Fee arrangements for barristers at Tanfield vary depending, for example, on the area of practice, the seniority of the barrister, the volume of papers, and the complexity of your case.
We will always provide a quotation and agree our fees with you in advance of any work being undertaken.
Unless otherwise specifically agreed in writing, we only accept instructions from clients under the Licensed Access scheme on the terms set out in an agreed client care letter.
Client service
Delivering a quality service for our clients is very important to us so we welcome you raising any concerns or questions with our Practice Managers. You are also welcome to discuss those concerns with our CEO, Walter Womersley.
In the unfortunate event that we cannot resolve any concerns, then you can make a formal complaint. Our complaint procedure is set out here.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of following our complaint procedure, you have the right to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. This is the independent complaints body for complaints against lawyers. You must make your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within one year of the problem happening or one year from when you found out about it, and within six months of receiving a response from our Quality Assurance & Complaints Committee. You can contact the Legal Ombudsman at PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH, email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk or telephone 0300 555 0333. If your complaint amounts to a breach of the Professional Code of Conduct of the Bar of England and Wales, the Legal Ombudsman will pass your complaint directly to the Bar Standards Board which is responsible for regulating barristers. For further details see: www.legalombudsman.org.uk. You can also find details of the Legal Ombudsman’s decision data here.
The Barristers’ Register
Members of Tanfield are self-employed, independent practitioners sharing premises and administration. All our members are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.
You can find details of all our members on the Barristers’ Register, a link which may be found here. The Register provides details of all barristers who are authorised to practise in England and Wales and who hold a current practising certificate. The Register displays the dates for which a barrister’s practising certificate is valid. It includes information about barristers’ practising status, the reserved legal activities they are authorised to undertake and whether they have been the subject of any disciplinary findings.
Confidentiality
We recognise the importance of client confidentiality and our members and practice managers know they have a duty to keep the affairs of every client confidential.
