Divorce, finances, children, cohabitation. Get clear, expert advice from a Direct Access barrister, without going through a solicitor first.
Tell us about your matter and we will match you with specialist Direct Access barristers. There is no charge to enquire.
We will be in touch shortly. If your matter is urgent, please call 020 3771 9301.
MyBarrister connects you with specialist Direct Access barristers who handle family law matters every day. You get senior expertise without the cost and delay of going through a solicitor first.
Direct Access, sometimes called Public Access, is a Bar Standards Board scheme that lets members of the public instruct a barrister directly. You do not need to engage a solicitor first.
Barristers are specialist advocates and advisers. In family law, that means counsel who spend their working lives in the Family Court, on financial remedy cases, child arrangements disputes, and complex cross-border matters. Many are King's Counsel or senior juniors with twenty years or more at the Bar.
Through MyBarrister you can engage a barrister for a single piece of work, such as advice on settlement, drafting a position statement, attending an FDR, or representing you at a final hearing. You agree the scope and the fee with your chosen barrister in writing before any chargeable work begins.
A straightforward route to expert advice, with no pressure and no charge to enquire.
Complete the short form above with a few details. There is no charge to enquire and no obligation to instruct.
We introduce you to family law barristers whose specialism and experience suit your situation. You see their credentials before deciding.
You agree the scope of work and fixed fee with your chosen barrister in writing, then they get to work on your case.
Family law covers a wide range of matters. The barristers listed on MyBarrister cover the full picture, from straightforward divorces to complex international cases.
Advice on no-fault divorce, judicial separation, nullity and the procedural steps to bring proceedings to a conclusion.
Financial remedy proceedings, Form E preparation, Maintenance Pending Suit, FDR strategy, lump sums, pension sharing and property adjustment.
Child Arrangements Orders for where a child lives and how often they spend time with each parent, relocation cases, prohibited steps and specific issue orders.
Financial provision for children of unmarried parents, including capital orders, housing provision and ongoing periodical payments.
Property and trust disputes between cohabiting couples, beneficial interest claims and Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 applications.
Drafting, advising on and reviewing pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements, including their enforceability following Radmacher v Granatino.
Non-molestation and occupation orders, urgent applications, defending allegations, and Family Law Act 1996 proceedings.
Hague Convention child abduction cases, jurisdiction disputes, recognition of overseas divorces and applications under Part III MFPA 1984.
Representing parents and family members in public law children proceedings, including interim care orders, threshold criteria and final hearings.
Family law disputes are stressful and expensive enough already. MyBarrister keeps the route to expert help short, transparent and within your control.
The barristers we introduce you to are full-time family law practitioners with significant Family Court experience. No generalists, no juniors learning on your case.
Family barristers will usually quote a fixed fee for defined pieces of work. You know the cost before any chargeable work starts. No surprise bills.
Direct Access means you instruct the barrister directly. You are not paying a solicitor to instruct counsel on your behalf, which can substantially reduce overall cost.
Every barrister listed on MyBarrister is regulated by the Bar Standards Board and carries professional indemnity insurance through the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund.
You choose the barrister and the scope of work. You can instruct for one piece of advice, a single hearing, or your whole case. No long retainers tying you in.
MyBarrister has been helping clients connect with specialist counsel for more than a decade, with introductions made across the full range of family law matters.
See the full panel of family law barristers on MyBarrister, with their chambers, year of call, areas of focus and direct access status.
Common questions about Direct Access, fees, court representation and how to get started.
Yes. Under the Bar Standards Board's Public Access scheme, you can instruct a Direct Access barrister directly, without going through a solicitor first.
The barristers listed on MyBarrister are Direct Access qualified, meaning you can engage them yourself for advice, drafting, negotiation and representation in court.
Family barristers usually quote on a fixed-fee basis for defined pieces of work, such as drafting a divorce petition, advising on financial settlement, attending a Financial Dispute Resolution hearing, or representing you at a First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointment.
Hourly rates are also common for advice. You agree the fee with your chosen barrister in writing before any work begins, so you know the cost up front.
It often is, because you cut out the solicitor's fee. You deal with the barrister directly, so you only pay one set of legal fees rather than two.
That said, a barrister cannot conduct litigation in the same way a solicitor can. For complex matters with heavy correspondence and document management, you may still benefit from instructing a solicitor as well, or using the Bar's Licensed Access scheme.
A family law barrister can advise and represent you on:
Most enquiries are responded to within one working day. If your matter is urgent, for example a non-molestation order or an emergency child arrangements issue, please call us on 020 3771 9301 and we will prioritise the introduction.
Yes. Direct Access barristers can represent you at all levels of family court, including the Family Court, the High Court Family Division and the Court of Appeal.
They can attend conciliation hearings, First Hearing Dispute Resolution Appointments (FHDRA), Dispute Resolution Appointments (DRA), Financial Dispute Resolution hearings (FDR), and final hearings on your behalf.
No. There is no charge to enquire through MyBarrister and no obligation to instruct. Any fees are agreed directly between you and the barrister you choose, in writing, before any chargeable work starts.
Yes. All barristers listed on MyBarrister are regulated by the Bar Standards Board and hold a current practising certificate. Each is also authorised under the Public Access scheme to accept instructions directly from members of the public.
Every practising barrister carries professional indemnity insurance through the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund.
A short summary of your situation is enough to start. Useful details include:
Please do not share confidential information until you have engaged a barrister formally.
Yes. We introduce you to barristers who specialise in your area of family law and whose experience matches your matter. You decide whom to instruct. You can also browse the directory and request a specific barrister by name.
Solicitors usually handle the day-to-day conduct of a case: correspondence, collecting evidence and managing the file. Barristers are specialist advocates and advisers, traditionally engaged to give opinions on tactics and law and to represent clients in court.
Under Direct Access, you can instruct a barrister for the parts of the work that need specialist input without engaging a solicitor first. For longer or more document-heavy cases, the two roles can also be combined.
Yes. The barristers listed on MyBarrister practise across England and Wales, with members in London, the South East, the South West, the Midlands, the North West, the North East, Yorkshire and Wales.
Many will accept instructions remotely by video conference for advice, and travel for hearings. Family law in Scotland and Northern Ireland operates under separate regimes, and we will tell you if your matter is best handled by counsel in those jurisdictions.
One of our team will contact you, usually within one working day, to understand your matter in a little more detail. We will then introduce you by email to one or more specialist family law barristers whose experience fits your situation. You decide whom to instruct, and the barrister agrees the scope and fee with you in writing before any chargeable work starts.
Yes. Many clients instruct a barrister for a single piece of advice, for example on the merits of issuing proceedings, a likely settlement range, or the strategy for a forthcoming hearing. You can return to instruct the same barrister on later stages of the case if you wish.
Yes. Your enquiry is treated in strict confidence. Information you share is used only to introduce you to suitable barristers. Our handling of personal information is set out in our Privacy Policy. Once you formally instruct a barrister, legal professional privilege applies to communications between you and counsel.
Tell us about your matter and we will introduce you to specialist Direct Access barristers who can help. There is no charge to enquire.
