Most barristers want to keep the chambers model despite the emergence of new business approaches
updated on 31 May 2017
Most barristers are not attracted by the innovative new business models which have emerged in recent years and want to keep the chambers model, which they feel is capable of adapting to changes in the legal market, a survey by the Bar Standards Board (BSB) has revealed.
New business models for barristers have largely involved the creation of online hubs where individual barristers pay to be listed and then connected directly with clients, without the need for the involvement of chambers and clerks. However, despite the availability of these new approaches, the majority of the 199 respondents to the BSB’s latest survey indicated a strong preference for the chambers model. As the Law Gazette reports, the respondents largely felt that chambers are able to respond to the main drivers of change: unmet client needs, changing client expectations and competition in the market. However, the BSB’s report does not rule out the possibility of changes in the future.
Vanessa Davies, director general at the BSB, commented: “Improving access to justice, promoting the interests of consumers and promoting competition in the provision of legal services are key objectives of the BSB. The chambers model seems likely to continue to serve consumers well in the future, but our role as the regulator is also to enable barristers who do want to innovate to do so, through flexible regulatory arrangements.”
