Draft contractual terms putting the working relationship between solicitors and barristers on a commercial footing have been put out for consultation by the Law Society.


The document is the result of several years of negotiations with the Bar Council.



The draft provides for a two-month period in which the parties can attempt to resolve a dispute over fees, before the matter goes to the fee dispute panel for arbitration. If a solicitor or firm persists in non-payment, the barrister can ask for them to be put on the bar's list of defaulting solicitors, which is sent to every set of chambers.



The template contract is not mandatory, but can used, or adapted for use, in most circumstances other than where the barrister is paid directly by the Legal Services Commission or under a conditional fee agreement. A Law Society spokeswoman said it hoped the contract will be approved by the autumn. The consultation ends on 6 April.



Catherine Baksi