A client came to me looking for a direct access barrister’s advice on his court martial plea.
While he’d been given advice by a solicitor, who said they specialised in Military law, my client want to double check that advice – and make sure he was doing the right thing on the facts of his case.
Why would someone want a second opinion?
You may have been advised by a Duty Solicitor. They have a number of people they need to help – and there is limited time to deal with each case.
When your career is at risk and you’re not sure if the solicitor truly understands the situation, then yes, it can be very useful to have a barrister give a second opinion.
My client asked me what I needed. I told him, “everything”.
I read through all of the witness statements and exhibits, the disclosure schedule and the interview. I drew on my own military and legal experience – and left no stone unturned. I wrote it all up in a formal document and provided my client with a deep analysis of the facts and law – and his prospects of success at trial.
The combination of facts, law and reasoning, spelled out in a written document, gave my client a sense of relief; the doubt he had on how to proceed was gone.
To him, that feeling was worth every penny.