What We Do
Advocates advise and represent clients in courts and tribunals throughout the Bailiwick of Guernsey covering Guernsey, Alderney and Sark. They also advise and assist clients in non-contentious matters ranging from corporate matters, to trusts, wills and property transactions more generally.
There is a full list of members of the Guernsey Bar available at the Greffe (Court registry) and here.
An Advocate combines the roles of the English solicitor and barrister, allowing the same person to deal with the client from first meeting to final hearing of legal proceedings. Members of the Guernsey Bar have the sole right to represent clients in the courts of the Bailiwick and must be instructed for the conduct of certain transactions, for example, buying land in Guernsey. However, other lawyers, not locally qualified, but employed and overseen by Advocates may assist them to prepare cases and may represent clients in tribunal hearings.
Members of the Guernsey Bar advise individuals, companies and other institutions on such diverse areas of law as corporate law, criminal law, family law and contentious and non-contentious matters generally. Whilst many Advocates specialise in certain types of work, for example trusts, company, insurance or property law, some have a more general practice.
The majority of Advocates work in private firms but others are employed by the States of Guernsey and other institutions such as the Guernsey Financial Services Commission and financial services businesses. The government has its own legal service led by HM Procureur and HM Comptroller (the equivalent of HM Attorney General and HM Solicitor General).
To see the Laws relating to the Guernsey Bar please follow this link.