Instructing
Instructing Counsel is a straightforward process. Your first point of contact should be our Practice Manager, who will be delighted to help you. Below you will find further information about our service and how we can help.
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Katherine is typically instructed by accountants, solicitors, tax advisors and under Public Access by private individuals, family offices and the directors of private and family owned companies. For advice as to the best way for a particular client to instruct Katherine, contact chambers@stkatharines.com.
The following people, solicitors or other practising lawyers, may instruct barristers either on behalf of clients or on their own account:
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any person authorised by another approved regulator (not the Bar Standards Board) or licensing authority;
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an employed barrister or registered European lawyer;
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any practising barrister or registered European lawyer acting on his own behalf;
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a foreign lawyer;
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a Scottish or Northern Irish Solicitor; or
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the representative of certain other designated bodies (such as a Legal Advice Centre or Pro Bono or Free Representation Unit) which arrange for the supply of legal services to the public without a fee and which instruct barristers to supply legal services without a fee.
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PLEASE NOTE: Instructions delivered under Professional Client Access are accepted, unless otherwise agreed, on the basis of Katherine’s standard contractual terms.
Organisations or individuals with expertise in particular areas of the law, such as accountants (Chartered and Certified) and members of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, can apply to the Bar Council to be licensed to instruct barristers directly in those areas. The licence can cover advice or representation or both and permit licensees to instruct barristers either on their own affairs or on behalf of their clients. For more information please see the Bar Standards Board’s Licensed Access Guidelines.
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The Bar Standards Board ‘Licensed Access Recognition Regulations’ tells you which organisations currently hold group licenses. Some other entities hold single licenses. You can check those lists here. If you are unsure whether Licensed Access applies to you, please contact chambers@stkatharines.com for assistance.
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If you give instructions under Licensed Access, you warrant that you are authorised to do so and you must retain for seven years after the last item of work done by the barrister copies of instructions (including supplemental instructions), copies of all advice given and documents drafted and approved, a list of all documents enclosed with any instructions, notes of all conferences and all advice given by telephone.
PLEASE NOTE: Licensed Access work is accepted and under Katherine’s standard contractual terms.
Katherine can accept instructions directly from members of the public without the need for first instructing a professional adviser, such as a solicitor, accountant or chartered tax adviser.
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However, there may be some restrictions on what Katherine can do, particularly if your instructions concern tax litigation. We will explain these restrictions to you if applicable in your particular circumstances. You may also find the Bar Standards Board’s publication The Public Access Scheme – Guidance for Lay Clients helpful. This will help you to understand how the Public Access scheme works and explains how you can use it to instruct barristers directly.
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Instructions delivered under Public Access are accepted, unless otherwise agreed, on the basis of Katherine's standard contractual terms.
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Please note that if you instruct Katherine directly, you must agree to retain for seven years after the last item of work done copies of the instructions (including supplemental instructions), copies of all advice given and documents drafted and approved, a list of all documents enclosed with any instructions, notes of all conferences and all advice given by telephone.
Frequently asked questions
Katherine can be instructed to give tax advice and to conduct tax appeals and other tax-related litigation. Where you require tax advice, it is important to instruct Katherine as early as possible in the planning stage. Where the work is contentious (although she is used to stepping in right up to the last moment) it is generally better to involve Katherine at the correspondence stage, as she can often resolve a dispute without the need for lengthy correspondence or a court hearing.
Timescales may vary depending on factors such as Katherine’s availability, the type and complexity of the work, the need for additional information or documents, the other side’s approach and court waiting times. Katherine is very happy to discuss likely timescales with you for any specific piece of work in advance, if requested and if sufficient information is available.
When Katherine accepts your instructions, she will agree a timescale with you for delivery of the work.
For a fee quote for Katherine’s services, contact Katherine on kb@stkatharines.com or her practice manager on chambers@stkatharines.com.
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Katherine most often charges a fixed fee or fee range, but occasionally she will also undertake work based upon an agreed hourly rate. All fees are exclusive of VAT if applicable. In addition, there may also be a charge for other disbursements such as travel and accommodation.
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Katherine will always provide you with a fee quote, if requested to do so and if sufficient information is available. She aims to provide you with a fee quote before work starts as quickly and as clearly as possible. If you receive your quote and there is something you do not understand, please contact chambers@stkatharines.com.
The professional who instructs a barrister is liable for the fee due in respect of work carried out by the barrister under any instructions. Even in a case where the matter concerns a lay client, the professional is solely and exclusively liable to the barrister for the fees whether or not the lay client puts the professional in funds. In this regard, the relationship, between the barrister and the professional is a contractual one.
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If the professional is a partnership or a firm or unincorporated association, the liability of the partners or members and on death that of their estates for the barrister’s fees is joint and several.
Katherine offers her services to clients subject to and in accordance with the Code of Conduct of the Bar. She accepts instructions on the basis of her own standard terms and conditions. A copy of her default standard terms and conditions is attached here and is available on request.
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Specific terms may be agreed between Katherine and the client on a case by case basis subject always to the Code of Conduct of the Bar.
In accordance with the guidelines issued by the Bar Standards Board, the Bar Council and the Revenue Bar Association, Katherine is required to ask all lawyers or regulated professionals, whether UK or overseas, who instruct her to confirm in writing the identity of their lay client and that they have verified the identity of the lay client in accordance with the relevant money laundering regulations. Katherine cannot start work until that written confirmation has been received. We aim to make this process straightforward and convenient for the lay client and the regulated professional client.
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Where Katherine is instructed directly by a member of the public, we undertake these client identification procedures ourselves and again aim to make this process straightforward and convenient for clients.
Katherine aims to work in the way that best meets the needs of each client. If and when you wish to consult with Katherine, this can be done by remote video conferencing. If you have access to an iPad or a computer with a webcam, then we can accommodate you. The process is very simple; we invite you via e-mail. The e-mail includes a link to join the video conference. Once you have logged in successfully, Katherine is able to begin the video conference.
Sometimes it is best to meet face to face. If so, Katherine can travel to your premises for the conference or you can attend a conference in London (within the Inns of Court) or in York.
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and we abhor any form of prejudice or discrimination in relation to gender, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexuality, class or age.
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We have willingly adopted policies in relation to grievance, anti-harassment, and the making of reasonable adjustments to reduce substantial disadvantage for disabled people working in or receiving legal services and we have available a written statement on equality and diversity.
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We are committed to creating a pleasant and enjoyable place where everyone who works here or instructs us feels welcome.
The following information is provided pursuant to the requirements of The Provision of Services Regulations 2009.
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Katherine Bullock is a self-employed barrister. A barrister’s chambers does not have a collective legal identity or form.
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Katherine is registered for VAT. Her VAT registration numbers is GB 301 364 744 and is available on her fee notes. Chambers address: St Katharines House, Main Street, York, YO23 7DN.
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The General Council of the Bar is the approved Regulator of the Bar of England and Wales and together with the Bar Standards Board (its regulatory arm) regulates the services that barristers provide. Katherine Bullock is regulated by the Bar Standards Board.
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You can search the Barristers’ Register on the Bar Standards Board’s website: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/for-the-public/search-a-barristers-record.html. 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 020 7611 1444 to ask about this (or e-mail ContactUs@BarStandardsBoard.org.uk).
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Barristers are required to hold professional liability insurance. This is provided by:
Bar Mutual Indemnity Fund Limited, 90 Fenchurch Street, London EC3M 4ST
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The minimum limit of cover is £500,000 and extends to claims brought in any jurisdiction. Further details are available at http://www.barmutual.co.uk/downloads and on request.
We will not send you information about changes to our bank account details by email.
If you receive an email purporting to be from Katherine or from someone at St Katharine’s Chambers advising you of a change to bank account details it will not be genuine. Do not reply to the email or act on any information it may contain. Instead, please contact chambers@stkatharines.com immediately.
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We accept no responsibility if you transfer money to a bank account which is not ours.
My aim is to give you a good service at all times, but if you do have a complaint with the service that you receive from me then you are invited to let me know as soon as possible. The Complaints Procedure can be viewed here.