Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Barcan and Kirby Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Our number is 568743.

• Lexcel
• Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS)
• Family Law
• Children Law
• Clinical Negligence
• Personal Injury

Read more about our Law Society Accreditations here.

Barcan and Kirby was formed in 2015 following a merger of two long-established law firms. This follows several prior mergers, which you can read about here.

All five of our offices in Bedminster, Bishopston, Bristol city centre, Kingswood and Thornbury are open between 9am and 5.15pm, Monday to Friday. We are closed on Bank Holidays.

Our experienced solicitors specialise in a range of legal services for individuals and business. This includes all aspects of:

• Family law
• Child law
• Domestic abuse
• Divorce and separation
• Residential conveyancing
• Wills
• Trusts
• Probate
• Powers of Attorney
• Court of Protection and Deputyships
• Employment law
• Corporate and commercial law
• Commercial property
• Medical Negligence
• Personal Injury

Please visit the ‘Our expertise’ menu for further information about the advice and support we can offer you in each of these areas.

Not at all. Our lawyers act for clients across the UK from our offices in Bristol.

For some types of advice, such as conveyancing, you may prefer to use your local solicitor because of their knowledge of the area. However, in some cases, expertise is more important than location. For example, our personal injury and medical negligence solicitors are based in Bristol; however, we act on behalf of clients based throughout the UK.

In some family law cases, we offer a complimentary 30-minute telephone consultation with one of our experienced lawyers. During this meeting, we’ll talk to you about your personal circumstances, offer some preliminary advice and provide an initial estimate of costs.

For other services, such as employment, Wills, probate or litigation, 30 minutes doesn’t give us enough time to obtain all the information needed. Instead, in some cases, we offer discounted rates for the first appointment.

We offer fixed fees for some areas, including residential conveyancing, litigation, employment, and Will writing. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to provide an exact cost upfront; however, your solicitor will give you estimated costs during your initial appointment and update you on any changes as the case progresses.

Yes. We offer fixed legal fees for most Residential Conveyancing, Divorce, Litigation, Employment, and Will writing services, meaning you’ll know exactly how much you’ll need to pay for our legal services from the start.

A Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), also known as ‘no win, no fee’, means that if your claim is not successful, you won’t be liable to pay for our time, and it means there are no upfront costs.

If you win your case, the defendant will contribute towards your legal costs and expenses. Any remaining costs are deducted from your compensation.

We may be able to offer a ‘no win, no fee’ arrangement in suitable cases, e.g. personal injury claims.

Our lawyers are open and transparent about costs and will discuss this fully with you at the initial meeting and throughout the claim.

Legal aid is generally only available in cases involving child protection issues and domestic abuse. Changes to Legal Aid in 2013 removed private family law matters, including divorce, financial matters and contact with children, from the scope of legal aid funding.

Contact us on 0117 325 2929 to see if you qualify.

If you’re unhappy with the way your case is being handled or the progress your current solicitor is making, we can take over cases from other legal practices.

Call us on 0117 325 2929 for an informal chat about how we can help you.

Please bring two pieces of identification with you. You need one item of photographic ID, such as your passport or driving licence, and one item that shows your residential address, such as a utilities or council tax bill.

If you’re in any doubt about what forms of ID are acceptable, contact us for assistance.

If you’re wondering how to prepare for your initial meeting with our divorce solicitors, this blog may be helpful.

If a face-to-face meeting is necessary, we may offer home or business visits by prior arrangement. Contact us to discuss your options.

If English isn’t your first language, please mention this when you book your appointment. We can arrange for an interpreter to be present at your meeting.

We’re committed to providing a high-quality legal service to all our clients. But if something does go wrong, we’d like you to tell us about it.

If you have a complaint, you can find information about the procedure here, or contact us on 0117 325 2929 and speak to a member of our team.

Both solicitors and barristers are lawyers. However, there are key differences regarding their training, the work they do (and don’t do) and how they’re regulated.

• A solicitor advises clients on legal matters, draws up legal documents and represents clients in certain courts. They also sometimes instruct barristers to work with them on particularly complex or difficult matters.
• A barrister also advises clients but represents them in all courts. They are generally instructed by solicitors, but some are registered as ‘direct access barristers’, which means the public can contact them directly without going through a solicitor.

Read more about the difference between a solicitor and a barrister here.

In simple terms, conveyancing is the legal transfer of a property from one owner to another.

Instructing a conveyancer is not a legal requirement; however, there is a lot more to the conveyancing process than just completing and sending forms. Several legal and financial aspects need to be covered as part of the transfer, and if you do your own conveyancing and something goes wrong, you will likely have no cover. If you use a conveyancing solicitor, you will be covered by their insurance.

Read more about the conveyancing process here.

Ready to move? You should instruct a conveyancing solicitor as soon as your offer has been accepted. Get a free upfront quote here.