---

Peter Shanley SC sets up barrister hotline service

Senior Counsel Peter Shanley has set up Barristers Direct, following the recent commencement of a key provision of the Legal Services Regulation Act, allowing direct access to barristers for legal advice.

The public can now directly engage a barrister for consultation, a move from the traditional model that required a solicitor to be retained before a barrister could be instructed.

Peter Shanley SC, who has over two decades of experience in commercial and civil litigation, established Barristers Direct to bridge the gap between clients and barristers.

Expertise

Headquartered in Dublin, the service is now live and allows users to access specialist legal expertise in areas such as employment law, commercial disputes, family law, debt recovery, personal-injury law, and more.

Founder Peter Shanley SC said: “This service brings legal services into the 21st century.

“Our network of barristers offers clients a smarter, faster, and more transparent way to get expert legal advice – by going straight to a specialist barrister.

“It saves time, reduces cost, and offers clarity from the very beginning of a dispute.”

When a client contacts the service and pays a flat fee, a consultation is arranged with a barrister with expertise in the relevant area of law.

The firm says that this early access to specialist barristers ensures informed, practical advice is provided to the client at the outset.

Where a case requires legal proceedings to be issued, it remains necessary to engage a solicitor, and clients will be so advised and can be referred if required.

However, in many instances, disputes could be resolved prior to legal proceedings being issued, ensuring faster outcomes and significant savings, Shanley stated.

There had been an “overwhelmingly positive reaction from barristers”, who were enthusiastic about embracing new sources of work and expanding their professional network of solicitors and clients, he added.