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Expert help with your tribunal claim — without handing over control

If you are facing an Employment Tribunal claim and you would like a specialist barrister in your corner, you can instruct me directly, without going through a solicitor first. It is called Direct Access, and it is built to keep you in control of your case while giving you expert input exactly where you need it.

I am a specialist employment barrister at 42BR Barristers, authorised by the Bar Standards Board to accept Direct Access (also called Public Access) instructions. I act in unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, redundancy and the full range of employment disputes.

What Direct Access means for you

Direct Access is a way to instruct a barrister directly. You come straight to the specialist, rather than a solicitor bringing me in on your behalf.

For a lot of people running their own tribunal claim, that is a good fit. You keep control of your case and your costs, you have a direct line to the person doing the legal thinking, and you only pay for the pieces of work you actually need.

How I can help

You do not have to hand the whole case over. You can bring me in for as much or as little as you need:

• An honest view on your prospects. A clear read on the strengths and weaknesses of your claim before you commit time and money.
• The documents that decide cases. Your claim (the ET1), your response (the ET3), witness statements, a schedule of loss, or written submissions.
• Getting you ready for a hearing. From a case management hearing through to the final hearing.
• Standing up for you at the hearing itself, so you are not there on your own.

Some people want one piece of advice at the start. Others want help at every stage. Both work.

Is Direct Access right for you?

Direct Access works best if you are able to manage the day-to-day running of your case, keeping to deadlines, gathering your documents and handling the correspondence, while you bring in expert legal help at the moments that matter.

If you would rather someone took the whole thing off your hands and managed every deadline and all the paperwork for you, that is really the work of a solicitor, and I will tell you honestly if that is what your situation needs. The aim of Direct Access is to give you specialist help while you stay in charge of your own case.

How instructing me works

It is more straightforward than most people expect:

What it costs

Fees depend on the work. A short piece of advice costs very differently from preparing and running a multi-day hearing. Where I can, I will agree a fixed fee up front, so you know the cost before you commit.

For an estimate, email me at enquiries@michaelsalter.net with a short outline of your case and I will come back to you with a fee. You can also read my price transparency information.