Business Strategies

If you (or a loved one) have been struggling with a court case or wish to appeal but have to face a jury trial, you then should consider seeking the services of special appeal barristers. Barristers specialize in courtroom appearances and can be a great and valuable addition to your legal team. These professionals excel at cross-examining witnesses and appearing before a jury. This however doesn’t mean you should get rid of your lawyer. Appeals barristers only handle courtroom issues and help lawyers prepare much better for a case, as well as advise on the best course of action. Hiring an advocate also helps bring in a third opinion or force to your case as well.

Finding an excellent appeals barrister to hire can however be a challenge for many. While there are plenty of good and capable barristers out there, hiring a barrister requires lots of patience, research, and preparedness. One of the limiting factors of having a barrister is the cost that comes with them. Nonetheless, shopping around and using all the resources you have can land you good and affordable barristers. Some of the important factors to consider when looking for a barrister include:

Reputation

Since the barrister will have to battle it out with the prosecutor or be convincing to the jury, you need someone with an impeccable track record to represent you. Reputable barristers not only have nothing to hide but also strive to ensure you are represented well.

Experience

In addition to an impeccable reputation, the barrister should have some expertise in the particular situation you are in. You should therefore look for a specialist in that niche, and one with several years of experience in the same.

Communication and Personality

The barrister’s character can make or break your case. One thing about barristers is that they have a ‘people person’ personality, meaning they can handle persons of various characters without getting offended. He/she also needs to be an excellent communicator to be able to convince the jury, or the judge to grant you the appeal. Looking into the candidate’s portfolio and past cases can help you determine the right one for the case. Personality can be hard to gauge when looking at someone’s professional qualifications, but many barristers have appeared in the media in various contexts. Michael Wolkind QC writes about one of his criminal cases here.

Legal fees:

As mentioned earlier, hiring a barrister means digging deeper into your pockets for expert legal representation. You therefore need to discuss legal fees with the barrister before signing a contract with him/her. Comparing quotes from several special appeals barristers can also help you land an affordable one.

You could hire a barrister for legal advice alone, to help your lawyer prepare for the case, or to represent you in the court hearing. Hiring a competent attorney should give your case an upper hand too.