Terms of engagement

Racheal Muldoon is a self-employed barrister regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Instructions are accepted on the terms set out below.

Standard Contractual Terms

Racheal Muldoon accepts instructions on the Standard Contractual Terms for the Supply of Legal Services by Barristers to Authorised Persons 2020 (Bar Council Standard Terms), as updated from time to time, unless otherwise agreed in writing. A copy of these terms is available on request or via the Bar Council website.

Where appropriate, particularly for commercial instructions, Racheal Muldoon may instead accept instructions on the COMBAR/CLLS General Terms v4.0 (Agreement for the Supply of Legal Services by a Barrister in a Commercial Context), again unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Payment Basis

Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing, Racheal Muldoon will accept professional and licensed access instructions on Payment Basis A under the COMBAR/CLLS terms (or equivalent under the Bar Council Standard Terms), which means:

  • The professional client or licensed access client is liable to pay fees, regardless of whether they have themselves been put in funds by their client

  • Payment is ordinarily due within 30 days of invoice

Racheal Muldoon does not ordinarily accept instructions on a "pay when paid" basis (COMBAR/CLLS Payment Basis B). If a pay-when-paid arrangement is proposed, this will be expressly confirmed in writing before instructions are accepted, and additional safeguards will apply.

For lay client instructions (where accepted), payment terms and responsibility will be confirmed in the client care letter or engagement documentation.

Payment on Account

Racheal Muldoon reserves the right to require payment on account before commencing work, particularly in:

  • Urgent matters

  • Document-heavy matters

  • New client relationships

  • Matters where there are reasonable credit concerns

Failure to pay sums due on account may result in work being paused or instructions being returned.

Interest and Recovery Costs

Where permitted by the applicable contractual terms and law, Racheal Muldoon may charge interest on overdue sums and recover reasonable costs of collection, including legal costs and enforcement costs.

Scope and Changes to Instructions

The scope of work will be confirmed in the client care letter, engagement email, or quotation. If the scope changes, or if additional work is requested, a further quotation or fee adjustment may be made, and the instructions may only continue on updated terms.

Confidentiality and Conflict

Racheal Muldoon will maintain client confidentiality and will not accept instructions where there is a conflict of interest, or where there is a significant risk of a conflict, unless all affected clients give informed consent in writing.

Terminating Instructions

Either party may terminate the engagement on reasonable notice. On termination, Racheal Muldoon will be entitled to payment for work done up to the date of termination and for any non-refundable expenses incurred.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These terms and any engagement are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.

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