Sometimes the best way to fix a legal problem is to get specialist legal advice.

For example, depending on the problem at hand you might need someone to represent you in court. In those cases a lot of us start to think about barristers alongside side us in the courtroom fighting our corner. 

People often don't know that you can approach some barristers for a one-stop-shop service - from start to finish. This could include advising you about legal rights and drafting and sending documents for you, right through to representing you in tribunals, mediations, or at court.

In the past if you needed a barrister's advice you would go to a solicitor first, who would then instruct a barrister for you.

A few years ago some changes were made to the rules about how barristers can work which made it easier to go directly to a barrister if you wanted to. You would still have had to do all the tasks a solicitor would have normally done though if the case went to court.

Times have changed. The regulator for barristers – the Bar Standards Board – has now made it possible for some barristers to work directly with you, as their client, from the start to the finish of your case. These barristers are known as Public Access barristers.

So what does all this mean? Well, you may not need to involve another lawyer at all, or worry about having to do a lot of work yourself. It's a bit like a situation from the medical world where if you need surgery you might have the same medical professional from your pre-op consultation, to the operation, through to post-op.

So -  a small but important change that could be useful to bear in mind if you're in the market for specialist advice about your situation. To find out which barristers offer this service you can check their details on the Barrister's Register.