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Client money and payments in advance

Purpose: To address the interaction between the prohibition on handling client money and permissible payments in advance
Scope of application: Self-employed barristers
Issued by: The Ethics Committee
First reviewed: 01/06/2014
Last reviewed: 31/05/2022
Status and effect: Please see the notice below and at end of the document. This is not "guidance" for the purposes of the BSB Handbook I6.4.

Prohibition on handling client money – what is ‘client money’ -payments ‘on account’ of fees are not permissible – permissible up front, fixed fee arrangements – alternative of using third party services


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Important Notice

This document has been prepared by the Bar Council to assist barristers on matters of professional conduct and ethics. It is not “guidance” for the purposes of the BSB Handbook I6.4, and neither the BSB nor a disciplinary tribunal nor the Legal Ombudsman is bound by any views or advice expressed in it. It does not comprise – and cannot be relied on as giving – legal advice. It has been prepared in good faith, but neither the Bar Council nor any of the individuals responsible for or involved in its preparation accept any responsibility or liability for anything done in reliance on it. For fuller information as to the status and effect of this document, please see here.

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