Bar Council chief takes a swipe at fees in family cases

A soon-to-be-published survey on graduated fees in family law cases has uncovered concerns about the operation and the impact of the fees paid, Bar Council chairman David Bean QC told the bar's annual general meeting last weekend.

Mr Bean said this was despite government assurances that the system would be cost-neutral.

In a wide-ranging speech, he also said barristers opposed the introduction of a compulsory quality mark for chambers handling publicly funded work, preferring instead a voluntary scheme covering just their administration rather than the quality of their advocacy and advice.

On other issues, Mr Bean announced the launch of a working group to investigate the problems faced by bar students in securing finance to complete their education.