Direct Access for Companies

If a company has sufficient administrative resources to produce letters, statements and do photocopying then it can most likely use direct access for the range of law areas mentioned in the general information.

Barristers from 5 Essex Court can produce either standard or bespoke letters to deal with correspondence from the other side or correspondence with courts and tribunals.  All it needs is client staff ready and willing to do the administration under instruction from us.

We can manage the course of litigation for a company provided that the client provides us with administrative support that is motivated to follow guidance and instructions as well as day-to-day management of the case file.

The advantages are enormous in that companies have a direct line to the lawyers who will represent them in court or mediation.  The litigation team is established from the start and can work on strategy and tactics from the word go.

Taking the example of an Employment Tribunal – a common vehicle for Direct Access – the Respondent company and its barrister can get together as soon as the claim has been lodged.  The barrister will then take instructions and draft the defence which the administrator can file with the court.  The client will be left with a set of standard letters to use in court communication and any ad hoc letters can be dealt with as and when they arrive with the barrister assisting with drafting replies.  Once potential witnesses have gathered their thoughts on what they want to say in their witness statement, the barrister can knock this into shape for use at Tribunals.  The same barrister will then represent the company at trial.

The bonus for the company is continuity, involvement and of course tremendous cost reduction.