You may have heard of plans for an on-line court for civil claims. Don't get agitated if you prefer to use your fingers for back scratching rather than mouse clicking. That on-line court is four years off at least. Anyway, the recently published report on recommendations for the court advocates parties taking advantage of unbundling services from lawyers once it kicks in.
Unbundling? Yes. Eh? Well it is already here. You get help from a lawyer for a case in which you are involved but not for the whole case or you might find yourself bankrupt. You ask a solicitor or a barrister to assist for bits of the case only but otherwise you handle it yourself. These bits might be advice before you start as to the strengths and weaknesses of your position or you might take in the lawyer just for the final hearing when you need an expert cross-examiner to expose your opponent as a bare faced liar.
The lawyer could be a solicitor or a barrister. An increasing proportion of barristers is now prepared to accept direct instructions from a client for unbundling services. When a barrister is used in this way it is no longer necessary to incur possibly double fees by going to the barrister through a solicitor.
Breaking Law fully explains how the unbundling system works.
