FAQ 57

Q57. Does a barrister have a lien over papers in the event of non-payment of fees?

A57. The Bar Council is not aware of any authority by which barristers gain a general lien on documents belonging to the client until the fees are paid. While there seems to be nothing in the law to invalidate an express agreement made between a barrister and a client (especially in public access cases) permitting the barrister to exercise such a lien, it is doubtful whether in practice a lien would be of much assistance to a barrister as a client is already likely to have all the correspondence files and other documents.