About Us

Barristers in chambers, who are regulated by the Bar Standards Board, practice primarily in Family Law, Chancery Work, and International Private Client Dispute Resolution, and/or cases with cross-borders elements.

Contact Us

The following are invited to contact the clerks on 020 7243 3829 for a quote for our barristers’ services or sarah.harding@hollandpark.law:

• Solicitors and other practising lawyers;
• Licensed access clients, who may either hold a license issued by the Bar Standards Board, or be a member of a professional body which has been recognised by the Bar Standards Board; and
• Members of the public who wish to instruct a barrister under the Public Access Scheme.

We will provide you with a quote as soon as possible.  We always aim to set out quotes clearly, but if you receive your quote and there is something you do not understand, please contact us.

Fees

Barristers in chambers most often charge hourly rates for private work (where the client is not eligible for Legal Aid).  Our standard barristers’ hourly rate is £350 plus VAT, where applicable.  This will vary according to the nature of the work and the length of the case.  For example, a day appearance in court will cost between £1000 – £1,500, depending on the seniority of the barrister required.  On each occasion, clients will be provided with an individual quotation.  Our barristers do not accept instructions under no win no fee agreements.

Timescales

Timescales for cases may vary depending on factors such barristers’ availability, the type and complexity of the case, and the other side’s approach and court waiting times.

Public Access

If you are a member of the public, the Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance for Lay Clients is enclosed.  This will help you understand how the Public Access Scheme works, and explains how you can use it to instruct barristers directly.

The following are some examples of work which a barrister is allowed to do.

1. A barrister may appear on your behalf at court.
2. A barrister may give you legal advice.
3. A barrister may draft legal documents for you, such as a will or statement of claim. 6
4. A barrister may advise you on the formal steps which need to be taken in proceedings before a court or tribunal, and draft formal documents for use in those proceedings.
5. A barrister may draft and send letters for you if they have proper systems in place to manage letters, and are not conducting litigation when not authorised to do so.
6. If a witness statement from you is required in proceedings, a barrister may prepare that statement from what you tell them. A barrister may also help to prepare witness statements from another person based on the information which that person has provided.
7. Where a case requires an expert witness (for example, a surveyor in a property case who can provide technical/professional evidence), a barrister may advise you on the choice of a suitable expert and instruct them for you.
8. Barristers can negotiate on your behalf and can attend employment, police or investigative hearings.

Regulatory & Complaints Information

Barristers in chambers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board.  You can search the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standard Board’s website.

This shows (1) whether a barrister has a current practising certificate, and (2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Bar Standards Board’s website in accordance with their policy.  Alternatively, you can contact the Bar Standards Board on 0207 611 1444 to ask about this (or email contactus@barstandardsboard.org.uk).

Please read on for information about:

• Our complaints procedure;
• Any right you may have to complain to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) – the independent body which can help you if you have complained to your lawyer and are not happy with their response;
• How to complain to LeO; and
• Any time limits for making a complaint.

You can also search the decision data on LeO’s website.

This shows providers which received an Ombudsman’s decision in the previous 12 months, and whether LeO required the provider to give the consumer a remedy. Alternatively, you can contact LeO on 0300 555 0333 to ask about this or email enquiries@legalombudsman.co.uk

Quality of Work

• We aim to provide our clients with a professional service of the highest quality and maximum value.
• We aim to provide such service regardless of the size or nature of the case.
• We aim to provide such service in a friendly and approachable manner.

Conferences can be arranged in Chambers or at instructing solicitors’ offices. Chambers has telephone conferencing facilities, internet access and facilities are available for Wi-Fi use.

The public areas of chambers are accessible to those using wheelchairs. Anyone with a disability wishing to discuss access should contact a member of the clerking team.

Email and Information Security

All members of Chambers have individual chambers email addresses and can also be contacted through the clerks.  Instructions can be received or briefs despatched by attachment to e-mail.

Holland Park Chambers is compliant with the Data Protection Act.

Chambers appreciates the sensitive nature of the information that is handled by members and clerks and is committed to continuing to ensure that all data held is processed and kept securely and confidentially.

Equal Opportunities

Chambers has an Equal Opportunities Policy, which is reviewed regularly and is in line with the Equality Code provided by the Bar Council and of the Bar Handbook. This ensures that no member of Chambers, whether tenant, pupil, squatter or member of staff will discriminate directly or indirectly against anyone on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, religion or political persuasion.

Complaints Procedure

Holland Park Chambers aims to offer you the highest level of service at all times. If you are dissatisfied at any time with the service you receive from either our barristers or our members of staff you are invited to let us know as soon as possible. It is not necessary to involve your solicitors if you wish to make a complaint but you may do if you prefer.

In the first instance we would invite you to discuss any concerns that you have either directly with the barrister you are instructing or with our Senior Clerk, Dr Sarah Harding. We anticipate that most concerns can be resolved swiftly in this way, however if you feel that your concern has not been resolved to your satisfaction and that you wish to make a formal complaint, the procedure for doing so is set out below:

 

Making a Complaint by Telephone

You may wish to make a complaint in writing and, if so, you will find the procedure below. However, if you would rather speak to someone on the telephone about your complaint please contact Dr Sarah Harding.

The person you contact will make a note of the details of your complaint and what you would like to have done about it. They will discuss your concerns with you and aim to resolve them. If the matter is resolved they will record the outcome, check that you are satisfied with the outcome and record that you are satisfied. You may also wish to have the outcome of the telephone discussion recorded in writing in which case we would be happy to do so.

If your complaint is not resolved on the telephone you will be invited to write to us about it so it can be investigated formally.

Making a Complaint in Writing

If you wish to make a complaint in writing, either instead of, or following making a complaint by telephone we would be grateful if you could provide the following details within your written complaint:
Your name and address
The name of the member(s) of Chambers or member(s) of staff you are complaining about;
The detail of the complaint; and
What you would like done about it.

Please address your letter to:
Dr Sarah Harding
Holland Park Chambers
12-14 Pottery Lane
London
W11 4LZ

We will, where possible, acknowledge receipt of your complaint within two working days and provide you with details of how your complaint will be dealt with.

If for any reason your complaint or any aspects of your complaint are felt to be outside of the Chamber’s complaints process we will inform you in writing and shall include information about how you can complain to the Legal Ombudsman or the Bar Standards Board as appropriate.

The person appointed to investigate will write to you as soon as possible to let you know that they have been appointed and that they will reply to your complaint within 14 working days. If the investigation will take longer than 14 working days the person appointed to investigate shall set a new date for reply and inform you of that date. The reply will set out the following:

The nature and scope of the investigation;

The conclusion reached in respect of each complaint and the basis for that conclusion; and

Whether or not the investigator finds you are justified in your complaint and their proposals for resolving the complaint.

Involvement of the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund

If your complaint involves a matter which may give rise to an insurance claim, the barrister will be obliged to inform his or her insurers, who will then need to be consulted before any proposals can be put to you to resolve your complaint. This may affect the speed with which we are able to respond to complaints in these circumstances.

Confidentiality

All conversations and documents relating to the complaint will be treated as confidential and will be disclosed only to the extent that is necessary. Disclosure will be to the Head of Chambers, members of the Chambers Management Committee and to anyone investigating or involved in the complaint. This will include the barrister or member of staff who you have complained about. The Bar Standards Board is entitled to inspect the documents and seek information about the complaint when discharging its auditing and monitoring functions.

Our Policy

As part of our commitment to client care we make a written record of any complaint and retain all correspondence generated by the complaint for a period of six years. Our management committee is regularly provided with a record of any complaints with a view to improving services.

Making a Complaint to the Legal Ombudsman

If, having used our complaints procedure you are still unhappy with the outcome, you may be able to take up your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman is an independent body for service complaints about lawyers. We will advise you of this right and the appropriate contact information and timescales at the end of the Chamber’s complaints procedure regardless of whether you have indicated to us that you are satisfied with the outcome.

Contact details for the Legal Ombudsman are as follows:

Legal Ombudsman

PO BOX 6806

Wolverhampton

WV1 9WJ

Telephone: 0300 555 0333

Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

The Legal Ombudsman will not consider your complaint until it has first been investigated by Chambers and there are timescales within which you must make your complaint.

Making a Complaint to the Bar Standards Board

The Ombudsman only deals with complaints from consumers which means that only complaints from the barrister’s client fall within their jurisdiction. Non-clients who are not satisfied with the outcome of the Chambers investigation should contact the Bar Standards Board rather than the Legal Ombudsman.

Please note that there may be occasions when Chambers does not feel it is possible to investigate a complaint made by a non-client at all, and there, if, having made an initial assessment of the complaint, Chambers considers that the issues raised cannot be satisfactorily resolved through the Chambers complaints process you will be referred to the Bar Standard’s Board.

Contact details for the Bar Standards Board are as follows:

Bar Standards Board

Professional Conduct Department

289-293 High Holborn

London

WC1V7JZ

Telephone: 0207 6111 444

Website: www.barstandardsboard.org.uk

Disclaimer

Samantha Kane is an independent barrister, and trades as a limited company, Samantha Kane Independent Barrister Limited. Any work undertaken by Samantha Kane or the chambers forms a contract between Samantha Kane Limited, the service provider, and the recipient of the legal service. While Samantha Kane is a registered and insured barrister, she is not personally liable; and the recipient of any legal service from Samantha Kane or the chambers, is restricted to a claim only against Samantha Kane Independent Barrister Limited, not exceeding an amount covered by Samantha Kane’s Bar Mutual Insurance.