About
Built for the Bar, by people who advise it
This microsite exists to explain the money side of practice at the self-employed Bar in plain English — clearly, accurately, and without ever crossing into advice you have not asked for.
The self-employed Bar sits in an unusual financial position. Income is lumpy and arrives late; there is no employer quietly funding a pension, no sick pay, no death-in-service scheme. A large share of what lands in the account is money that is not yours to spend. And the rules that govern all of this — Making Tax Digital, the basis period reform, the annual allowance taper, the coming changes to inheritance tax on pensions — are moving quickly.
Most general financial content is written for employees. It assumes a steady salary, a workplace pension and a fixed retirement date. Very little of it is written with a barrister's cash-flow shape, aged debt and career transitions in mind. This site tries to close that gap.
Altor for the Bar and Altor
The site is published by Altor for the Bar, an initiative from Altor, a firm that advises members of the Bar day to day. That practical, day-to-day contact with counsel is what shapes the material — the questions here are the ones that actually come up in chambers, not the ones a generic guide assumes.
The line we hold
Everything on this microsite is generic education: how the mechanics currently work, and what may matter in which circumstances. Nothing here is personal financial advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any particular product or investment. Personal advice only happens in a personal conversation, where your full circumstances are known.
If you would like to talk
The most useful next step is usually a short, no-obligation conversation with an adviser who works with members of the Bar.
Get in touch