Instructing Advocates
Accessible and professional
Why instruct an advocate?
Advocates are trained in the skills of professional advocacy. They also provide independent objective legal advice. Each advocate is an independent professional.
Different ways of instructing an advocate
Advocates are members of an independent referral bar. This means that, as a general rule, Advocates do not provide their services directly to the public, but are available to be instructed by solicitors and other designated professionals and bodies.
Privacy Policies
This privacy policy applies to all Members of the Faculty of Advocates, unless a particular Member of Faculty opts out of this policy and adopts his or her own policy.
Direct access
Advocates may also accept instructions (except in relation to court proceedings) directly from a variety of professionals, public authorities and other individuals and bodies
Fair Instruction of Advocates
The Faculty of Advocates recognises that advocates should be instructed based on their skills, experience and ability.
Advocates' Clerks
Most Advocates belong to a stable which is served by an Advocates' Clerk and Deputy Clerks
Free Legal Services Unit
As part of its commitment to promote access to justice, the Faculty facilitates the provision of advice and representation by Advocates free of charge in deserving cases for which no form of funding is available.
Faculty Dispute Resolution Service
The FDRS offers a convenient way of securing the services of Advocates as decision makers and neutral dispute resolvers, whether as adjudicators, arbitrators, mediators or other third party neutrals.
Faculty Appeals Unit
What services do we offer? Since 2014, Faculty Services Limited has offered a criminal appeals service provided by the Faculty Appeals Unit. The Unit act as Edinburgh agents, offering support to instructing agents and counsel with all aspects of criminal appeal work, providing advice and information, instructing counsel, ensuring all deadlines and procedural requirements are met, and attending appeal hearings. There are many benefits to solicitors in instructing an Edinburgh agent in a criminal appeal.
