Already Have a Solicitor or Barrister? How JSH Law Can Help Alongside Your Legal Team

The short answer

Yes — in principle, you can obtain separately paid, non-reserved practical assistance even when you already have a solicitor, barrister or both. You do not necessarily need to terminate your existing legal arrangements or instruct JSH Law for the whole case.

The critical questions are what task JSH Law will perform, who remains responsible for the litigation, how confidential documents may lawfully be shared and whether the proposed support complements rather than cuts across your existing lawyer’s work.

JSH Law is not an SRA-authorised solicitors’ firm and cannot take over reserved litigation or advocacy functions. It can consider defined-scope document preparation, evidence organisation, analysis and preparation support within its lawful service boundaries.

1. Having a solicitor does not make the practical work disappear

A solicitor is instructed to provide professional services within the scope of their retainer. A barrister may be instructed to advise, draft or represent a client in court. Those are important and potentially indispensable functions. But a litigant may also need to collate records, locate important emails, identify dates, prepare a concise account of events and assemble the questions they want their legal team to answer.

That work can be emotionally exhausting, particularly where the dispute concerns children, financial security, a shared home, domestic abuse or events stretching back years. The person closest to the facts may also be the person least able to organise them dispassionately under pressure.

Some solicitors’ firms offer extensive paralegal or document-management assistance themselves. Others divide responsibilities with the client, whether because of the agreed retainer, cost, timing or the nature of the task. Neither arrangement is inherently wrong.

The useful question is therefore not whether someone ‘already has a lawyer’. It is: what defined piece of practical work remains outstanding, and who is best placed to do it?

2. What additional work can JSH Law help with?

The following are examples of work JSH Law may consider within a separately agreed, non-reserved instruction. The precise scope depends on the case, current court directions, confidentiality restrictions, the documents involved and what the existing representatives are already doing.

Evidence and chronology organisation

• A master chronology: a dated record of the relevant events, court orders, professional involvement and source documents.
• An evidence register: a structured index of documents, messages, financial records or third-party information, with their sources and relevance.
• An issues schedule: a document identifying what is agreed, disputed, determined or still requiring instructions.
• Source checking: comparing factual statements in a draft or report with the original material without pretending that disputed assertions are findings.

Document preparation for the client or their lawyer to review

Support may include helping a client organise their factual account, assemble a first working draft of a witness statement, produce a document index, identify an inconsistency or prepare a schedule for discussion with the solicitor or barrister. This is different from taking responsibility for filing, serving or formally advancing the document in litigation.

See How to Write a Family Court Witness Statement and Evidence and Chronology Help for examples of the underlying tasks.

Preparation for meetings, conferences and hearings

• Producing a concise chronology of the relevant history before a solicitor or counsel conference.
• Listing questions the client needs answered and documents their legal team has requested.
• Preparing a practical hearing-readiness checklist based on the latest directions.
• Organising material by issue, so that an important record can actually be found when it is needed.

Review of professional or safeguarding materials

In suitable family cases, additional support may involve comparing a Cafcass or social-work report with the available records, identifying factual discrepancies or setting out which passages the client wishes to discuss with their solicitor. The lawyer remains responsible for professional legal advice and litigation strategy, and the court decides the relevance and weight of evidence.

For report-specific guidance see How to Challenge an Inaccurate Social Worker Report.

3. Solicitor, barrister and JSH Law: three different roles

It is important to be clear about who is doing what. The arrangement may look different in a family case, a civil property dispute or a matter in which counsel is instructed on a public-access basis.

The purpose is complementary support, not a competing legal opinion about which representative is right. If a significant legal question arises, or the client wishes to challenge the advice already received, that normally needs discussion with their instructed lawyer or an appropriately regulated second-opinion provider.

An existing barrister or solicitor is not required to rely on a JSH Law working document, change an agreed strategy or accept external instructions. The final procedural decision remains with the person authorised and responsible for it.

4. When an additional pair of hands could be useful

Situation A: the file is larger than anyone can comfortably navigate

A parent is preparing for a family hearing. Their solicitor has responsibility for the proceedings, but the client has months of communications, several reports and multiple previous orders. A clearly indexed chronology and evidence register might make the next conference more productive and help the client identify the most important questions.

Situation B: there is a barrister’s conference next week

A client already has counsel booked and needs to make that conference count. A concise case summary, list of orders, current issues, supporting documents and questions may be a useful preparatory output. It should be discussed with the solicitor or barrister where appropriate, not circulated as an alternative statement of the case.

Situation C: the dispute concerns property and financial records

In a civil dispute involving interests in a shared home — potentially including an application under section 14 of the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 — the practical burden may involve locating bank transactions, title documents, loan records, communications and a reliable payments chronology. JSH Law may consider an agreed document-organisation task without taking over the civil claim, advising on the merits of proprietary interests or purporting to conduct litigation.

Situation D: the client wants help following a difficult safeguarding history

A client represented in children proceedings may want someone to organise the chronology of professional referrals, disputed records or information relevant to an alleged pattern of coercive control. This work requires sensitivity, accurate distinctions between allegations and findings, and appropriate consideration of any existing court directions.

These scenarios are illustrative examples, not descriptions of actual clients, findings or legal outcomes.

5. How additional support should work alongside your existing legal team

The safest model is a short, defined task with a clear starting point, a clear end point and no uncertainty about who is responsible for the case.

1. Identify the immediate problem. Is it document order, a chronology, a conference, a report comparison, a hearing checklist or a factual draft?
2. Confirm existing representation. Say whether you have a solicitor, a barrister or both, the nature of their retainers and who is responsible for filing and service.
3. Check that the task is not being duplicated. If your solicitor’s team is already building the evidence register, commissioning the same work twice may be unnecessary.
4. Agree precisely what JSH Law will and will not do. A separate Task Confirmation or client agreement should identify the deliverable, timeframe, fee basis and any limitations.
5. Confirm the lawful document-sharing route. Check confidentiality, privilege, children proceedings restrictions, consent where necessary and the secure transmission method.
6. Agree who will review the output. It may be a working document for the client, or a draft the solicitor agrees to assess. It is not automatically a court document.
7. Leave formal steps with the proper person. The represented client’s authorised lawyer remains responsible for the reserved work they are instructed to undertake.

6. The legal boundaries matter: we are not a second solicitor conducting the case

Under section 12 of the Legal Services Act 2007 and Schedule 2, certain legal activities are reserved, including the conduct of litigation and rights of audience. The Legal Services Board explains that other legal assistance may be non-reserved, but that does not mean an unregulated provider can simply take control of issuing, prosecuting, defending or formally managing proceedings for someone else.

JSH Law Ltd is not authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. We do not go on the court record as your solicitor, issue claims or applications as your litigation representative, take responsibility for formal service or filing, exercise a right of audience as of right, or replace your barrister’s advocacy.

Does the Court of Appeal’s 2026 Mazur judgment change that?

The Court of Appeal’s decision in CILEX and others v Mazur and others [2026] EWCA Civ 369 addressed how unauthorised staff working under the appropriate supervision of an authorised individual may perform tasks as part of the authorised person’s conduct of litigation. The authorised person must retain responsibility, and proper supervision and delegation arrangements are necessary.

That judgment is important for the working practices of regulated law firms and law centres. It does not give a separately instructed independent provider an unrestricted right to conduct litigation merely because the client already has a solicitor. Our own work must remain within the lawful scope of the service actually agreed.

What about McKenzie Friend assistance?

The Judiciary’s McKenzie Friend Practice Guidance concerns reasonable assistance for litigants in person, including help with papers, note-taking and quiet advice. It does not confer on a person who is already represented an automatic entitlement to bring an additional McKenzie Friend into a hearing, and it does not confer an automatic right of audience.

When someone already has a lawyer appearing for them, any proposed additional in-court attendance should be considered separately with the legal team and, where required, the court. Most of the additional JSH Law support discussed in this article is out-of-court preparation.

7. What if you have a direct-access barrister but no solicitor?

A client may instruct a barrister directly without a solicitor. That does not automatically mean the barrister will carry out every step normally associated with the conduct of litigation.

The Bar Standards Board’s Public Access Guidance distinguishes barristers who are authorised to conduct litigation from those who are not. The individual barrister’s authorisation and the terms of engagement determine what work they are taking responsibility for.

Some clients therefore retain substantial responsibility for case administration and formal steps, even while obtaining valuable specialist legal advice and advocacy. A separate provider may be able to assist with appropriate non-reserved document preparation and organisation, but cannot quietly become the litigation representative.

Before instructing JSH Law, identify which tasks counsel will undertake, which tasks remain yours and whether a particular piece of practical assistance would genuinely help. Where a matter needs someone authorised to conduct litigation, obtain the appropriate regulated service.

8. Can you share your solicitor’s papers or Family Court documents with JSH Law?

You should not assume that because documents are in your possession, they may be copied into another person’s inbox or an online system without restriction.

In children proceedings, Family Procedure Rule 12.75 and Practice Direction 12G contain important provisions on communication for advice and assistance. In particular, the rules permit specified confidential communications for support or advice, subject to court directions and limits on onward disclosure. They are not a blanket permission for public circulation of family case material.

There are also special concerns about legally privileged communications with your solicitor or barrister. If you intend to provide privileged advice or confidential counsel’s documents to an independent third party, ask your legal team about the potential consequences and the lawful terms of disclosure. Do not assume that describing material as ‘confidential’ automatically preserves every legal protection.

The SRA’s confidentiality guidance emphasises the responsibilities of regulated solicitors and the need to protect client information. JSH Law also has to handle any personal data and confidential case material according to the applicable legal and contractual obligations.

Our preferred starting point

• Start with the latest order, the next hearing date and a short description of the proposed task, not the entire case file.
• Check which documents JSH Law actually needs and what can be sent through a secure agreed method.
• Avoid unnecessary transmission of children’s records, protected addresses, third-party personal information or privileged legal advice.
• Confirm any court confidentiality restrictions, communication permissions or protective directions before disclosure.
• Do not upload protected Family Court papers into unsuitable public AI services.

If the task cannot be performed without improperly accessing or sharing information, the work should not proceed in that form.

9. How much does extra legal preparation support cost?

JSH Law is a paid service, separate from the fees of your solicitor or barrister. It is important to be transparent about that from the outset.

As at 19 October 2026, JSH Law’s published pricing lists focused support at £100 per hour, with fixed-fee quotations available when a task can be defined sufficiently clearly. Most work is paid in advance under an agreed scope and the relevant client agreement or Task Confirmation. Please refer to the live pricing page for current terms and any applicable charges.

The value of an additional instruction should be judged against the work needed, not an assumption that an unregulated provider will always be cheaper. Sometimes the sensible commercial decision is to ask the solicitor’s existing team to do the work. Sometimes a separately priced document-organisation task may be more suitable.

How to keep the cost proportionate

• Ask for one defined output: for example, a chronology or document register, rather than an open-ended case review.
• Identify a date range and document volume, so the task can be costed responsibly.
• Tell JSH Law what the solicitor or barrister has already prepared to prevent duplicate charges.
• Agree whether the output is for your own understanding or for the existing legal team to consider.
• Be clear about the next deadline and whether urgent work is actually available.

10. How do you tell your solicitor you are obtaining additional support?

Clear, respectful communication is usually preferable to creating a parallel process. You can describe the practical task without inviting an argument about professional competence or case strategy.

Example wording for a client to adapt

I remain happy for you to act for me and do not intend to change your role in the proceedings.

I am considering obtaining separately paid assistance from JSH Law with organising my chronology and supporting documents before our next conference. This would be preparatory work only. JSH Law would not be conducting the litigation, corresponding with the court on my behalf or giving you instructions.

Please let me know whether your team is already preparing this material and whether there are any confidentiality, privilege or practical coordination issues I should resolve before sharing documents or commissioning the work.

This example is a communication aid, not a prescribed form. It would be unnecessary in some circumstances, while in others coordination will be essential. The solicitor is not obliged to approve an independent provider or to incorporate the provider’s drafts into the case.

Where there is an urgent disagreement with legal advice, a request for a regulated second opinion may be more appropriate than asking an evidence-organising provider to arbitrate between professional positions.

11. What should you send JSH Law before booking?

You do not need to reconstruct your entire case history before seeking an initial conversation. In fact, doing so may make the enquiry harder to assess.

1. Type of proceedings. Are these private-law children proceedings, financial remedies, a civil property dispute or something else?
2. Existing legal team. Do you have a solicitor, barrister or both? What is their agreed role?
3. Immediate task. What exactly do you need: chronology, evidence schedule, document comparison, conference preparation or something else?
4. Next deadline. When is your hearing, conference or filing date?
5. Size of the work. Roughly how many documents or pages, and what period do they cover?
6. Confidentiality constraints. Are there protected addresses, children’s proceedings, privileged communications or restrictions your lawyer has identified?

Please initially provide a short overview rather than unsolicited case bundles or sensitive attachments. JSH Law can then determine whether the task falls within its scope, what further material is needed, the appropriate secure means of sharing it and whether a quotation can be provided.

12. The JSH Law Six-Question Task Check

This is a practical way to decide whether a separate instruction makes sense. It is not a legal test.

If these six questions have clear answers, the proposed support is easier to scope, price and manage. If they do not, the first useful task may simply be clarifying the problem.

13. Frequently asked questions

Can I pay JSH Law for help even though my solicitor is acting?

Potentially, yes, where the task is lawful, non-reserved, separately agreed and does not conflict with existing arrangements or confidentiality obligations. Instructing an independent preparation service does not automatically end your solicitor’s retainer.

Can JSH Law communicate directly with my solicitor or barrister?

Where appropriate and agreed, a limited exchange about a specific task may be possible, subject to consent, professional boundaries, information-sharing rules and the legal team’s willingness. JSH Law does not assume an automatic right to give instructions to your lawyer or act as your litigation representative.

Can JSH Law prepare a document for my barrister to use?

JSH Law may help prepare a working chronology, source register or factual draft for the client’s or lawyer’s consideration within an agreed scope. The barrister remains responsible for their own professional work and is not required to use the material.

Can JSH Law attend court as my McKenzie Friend if I already have a barrister?

The ordinary McKenzie Friend guidance is directed at litigants in person, not an additional person automatically joining a represented party at a hearing. Any proposed attendance or role requires consideration with the legal team and the court where appropriate; JSH Law has no automatic right of audience.

Does JSH Law replace formal legal advice about my property or TOLATA claim?

No. An agreed non-reserved task may involve organising property-related evidence or producing a chronology. The legal merits, ownership interests, procedure, remedies and litigation representation should be addressed by a properly instructed regulated professional where required.

What if my solicitor says they are already doing the work?

Avoid unnecessary duplication. Clarify the scope and relative cost; if the task is already covered appropriately under the solicitor’s retainer, another instruction may add no value.

Will instructing JSH Law save money?

Not necessarily. Separate preparation may offer value, but any cost must be considered together with legal-team review charges, urgency and the risk of duplicated work. A specific quote is preferable to an unsupported savings claim.

What if I am facing care proceedings or an urgent child-protection issue?

Seek advice from an appropriate regulated public-law children solicitor immediately and ask about legal aid. JSH Law’s non-reserved support is not a substitute for urgent professional representation or safeguarding action.

14. Official legal sources and further JSH Law guidance

The explanation of reserved activities, professional responsibilities and confidentiality is grounded in the following primary materials. The applicability of a particular rule will depend on the actual type of proceedings and representation.

• Legal Services Act 2007, section 12 — reserved legal activities
• Legal Services Act 2007, Schedule 2 — reserved activity definitions
• Legal Services Board — Reserved Legal Activities
• CILEX and others v Mazur and others [2026] EWCA Civ 369 — Court of Appeal judgment
• Judiciary — Practice Guidance on McKenzie Friends (Civil and Family Courts)
• Bar Standards Board — Public Access Guidance
• Family Procedure Rules, Part 12 Chapter 7 — communication of information
• Practice Direction 12G — communication of information
• Solicitors Regulation Authority — Confidentiality of Client Information
• Solicitors Regulation Authority — Unbundling and access to legal services

Related JSH Law pages

• Family Court Evidence & Chronology Help
• Family Court Witness Statement Guide
• Family Court Hearing Preparation
• JSH Law Pricing & Fees
• Frequently Asked Questions — JSH Law services and boundaries

You can keep your legal team — and get help with a defined preparation task.

If you already have a solicitor or barrister but need a chronology, evidence register, report comparison or structured document preparation, JSH Law can consider whether a separately paid task would help. The point is to make your case materials easier to understand and use, not to create a competing legal representative.

We agree a clear scope and fee basis before substantive work begins, with most work paid in advance. Tell us what your existing lawyer is doing so that we can avoid duplication and identify any confidentiality or responsibility issues.

Have ready: the type of proceedings, the role of your current legal team, the immediate task, the next deadline and an estimate of the number of relevant documents. Please do not send confidential case material until a secure, lawful route has been agreed.

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