Terms Of Business

This information is provided on behalf of Magdalen Chambers and its barristers in accordance with various obligations, including those under the Provision of Services Regulations 2009. It also includes important information about their terms of business following the abolition of the withdrawal of credit scheme.

Legal Status

Magdalen Chambers is an unincorporated association which provides clerking and other facilities to its barristers. Certain services are in turn provided to Magdalen Chambers by service companies. Members of Chambers are sole practitioners and are individually regulated by the Bar Standards Board (the BSB). They are also bound by the BSB Code of Conduct, a copy of which can be found on the BSB website. If individual members are also qualified in other jurisdictions appropriate details will appear on their individual page on this website. Magdalen Chambers does not enter into contracts for the provision of legal services. Such contracts are made direct with individual members.

Terms and Conditions

Until 31 January 2013, in most cases the relationship between barristers and solicitors was a professional rather than contractual one. The old rules have been withdrawn. The new standard terms on which barristers at Magdalen Chambers offer their services are those prepared by the Bar Council, the Standard Contractual Terms 2012. Magdalen Chambers feels that it is simpler and fairer all-round to adopt industry drafted terms without alteration. These standard terms will govern the relationship with the barrister except in the case of work carried out under a public funding certificate, under some other statutory scheme, or where the individual barrister has agreed other terms in writing.

The following are examples of where other terms may be appropriate:

Personal Injury or Clinical Negligence where the barrister agrees to act under a Conditional Fee Agreement, in which case the standard APIL/PIBA agreement will usually be used;
Other cases where the barrister agrees to act under a Conditional Fee Agreement, in which case the Chancery Bar Association CFA is usually used;
Where services are provided directly to members of the public, in which case our standard Public Access Agreement will usually apply; and
Where services are provided through the Licensed Access Scheme the Licensed Access Terms of Work will normally apply.

VAT

Members of Chambers are individually registered for VAT and their numbers can be provided upon request.

Insurance

All members of Chambers have professional indemnity insurance to a minimum level of £500,000, provided by the Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund Limited (the BMIF). Many members have additional top-up indemnity insurance which may be provided through BMIF or elsewhere.

The website address of BMIF is www.barmutual.co.uk. Its postal address is Bar Mutual Management Company, 90 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4ST. The territorial coverage is worldwide, subject to the terms of cover of BMIF which may be accessed here.

Complaints

We hope that you will never feel the need to make a complaint. If you do, you may access our complaints procedure here.

Contact Details

Magdalen Chambers and its members may be contacted by post at Magdalen Chambers, Victory House, Dean Clarke Gardens, Southernhay East, Exeter EX2 4AA, by telephone on 01392 208484, by fax on 01392 208204 or by email at clerks@magdalenchambers.co.uk.