I'm surprised we haven't had this yet

[doodab]

And the tax deduction of expenses etc. has no effect?

My limited experience has been the fees they charge are quite exceptional even in basically straightforward cases. £500 for a morning in court.

That's less than some of us bill for a day though, and you need to remember they also have to prepare for it, and they don't spend every morning in court.

OTOH my missus engaged one of the top barristers in a particular specialist area as part of a group and he cost them £6k for the day, so the top guys are definitely raking it in.

[eek]

That's less than some of us bill for a day though, and you need to remember they also have to prepare for it, and they don't spend every morning in court.

OTOH my missus engaged one of the top barristers in a particular specialist area as part of a group and he cost them £6k for the day, so the top guys are definitely raking it in.

Yep but that £6k is for the public facing work. How many days of preparation were spent for that day...

[doodab]

Yep but that £6k is for the public facing work. How many days of preparation were spent for that day...

2 or 3 at most I'd estimate. Of course there are legal secretaries and assistants and premises and so forth to be paid for as well. But even so it's not a bad whack.

[d000hg]

2 or 3 at most I'd estimate. Of course there are legal secretaries and assistants and premises and so forth to be paid for as well. But even so it's not a bad whack.

Well the amount of training and then bottom-rung being-someone's-bitch-ing you have to do, so it should be.

[doodab]

Well the amount of training and then bottom-rung being-someone's-bitch-ing you have to do, so it should be.

Indeed. It takes the best part of a career to get to this chaps level.

[vetran]

That's less than some of us bill for a day though, and you need to remember they also have to prepare for it, and they don't spend every morning in court.

OTOH my missus engaged one of the top barristers in a particular specialist area as part of a group and he cost them £6k for the day, so the top guys are definitely raking it in.

bit like rich contractors then, maybe?

[Smartie]

2 or 3 at most I'd estimate. Of course there are legal secretaries and assistants and premises and so forth to be paid for as well. But even so it's not a bad whack.

And what are the assistants paid for if not to do the preparation for you?

[Ticktock]

And what are the assistants paid for if not to do the preparation for you?

The clerks are paid for clerical work, manning phones, chasing payments, booking appointments, etc. They may have some legal training, but are not lawyers.
Pupils are paid **** all and are there to learn - their input on cases is likely to be minimal, if any.

Most barristers do not have PAs or legal assistants who can prep for trial.

[doodab]

Most barristers do not have PAs or legal assistants who can prep for trial.

Exactly. Preparation isn't making sandwiches for someone else to sell, a barrister needs to personally digest perhaps hundreds or thousands of pages of documents and know the case well enough to represent you.