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Sarah Robson Barrister
0800 634 9650
The original Black Belt Barrister
email@sarahrobsonbarrister.co.uk
Fixed Costs Specialist
Sarah Robson
Black Belt Barrister (4th Dan)
2002 Call
Legal 500
Sarah Robson has been ranked in the 2026 Legal 500 as a Leading Junior for Costs.
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
"Sarah is clearly a leading expert in the world of fixed costs disputes. She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of costs. Incredibly thorough, strategic, and always well-prepared. A fearless and tenacious barrister."
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Black Belt Barrister
Sarah Robson is the original "Black Belt Barrister." By day she is a Fixed Costs specialist. By night, she can be found at the local Dojang, practising her Dark Arts, aka Taekwondo.
Sarah attends Detailed Assessments, Oral Reviews, Preliminary Costs Hearings, CCMCs, Appeals, Fast and Multi-Track matters.
As well as being an excellent advocate in court, she is also happy to advise, particularly on technical points and procedural tactics.
Sarah represents both Claimants and Defendants - she feels working for both sides gives her a better understanding of how the other side are likely to run a case.
Sarah Robson
East Midlands based
Costs Specialist
Sarah Robson is part of Alpha Court Chambers based in Warwickshire, home of Warwick Castle.
Where?
Sarah Robson appears in the SCCO, as well as the High Court and County Courts across much of Central England and Wales.
She covers from Leeds to London, Cardiff to Norwich - Nationwide for remote hearings - and on request for in person hearings beyond that.
Usual Operating Area
Fixed Costs Specialist
Sarah Robson is a specialist costs barrister with a strong reputation in court.
Sarah is known for her thorough preparation, and for providing detailed and practical advice.
Solicitors often comment that they have never seen counsel so well prepared.
Speaking Engagements
Sarah speaks around the country and on video on fixed costs. Sarah is a popular and engaging speaker. She is not fazed by addressing large audiences. She can also be persuaded to provide a Taekwondo demonstration, and has been surprised by the eagerness of the judiciary to have a go too!
Sarah speaks to both Claimant and Defendant audiences, and to professional and lay clients.
Please email to find out about her speaking availability.
Service
Sarah Robson does not have a clerk - she does not need one. Once clients have seen how Sarah works and how good she is they keep coming back!
Solicitors can talk directly to Sarah when they book a case and often benefit from discussing the case with her at that point. There is usually time then to take steps to strengthen your case, whereas where a clerk has taken the booking it is often too late by the time counsel receive papers for a hearing.
It is not unusual for cases to settle once the other side hear that Sarah Robson is the barrister on your side.
Reputation
Sarah is an experienced advocate with a strong reputation in court.
Sarah is known for her thorough preparation, and for providing detailed and practical advice. Solicitors often comment that they have never seen counsel so well prepared.
Sarah is well regarded for cases concerning fixed costs.
Awards and Scholarships
Sarah was awarded the London University Prize for Distinguished Exam Performance in her LLB (Hons) (1999)
Sarah received a major award from the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple for her Bar School year (2001)
Sarah received a major award from her Bar School, the University of the West of England (2001)
Original Black Belt Barrister
Sarah is the original Black Belt Barrister.
She is a current practising 4th degree black belt in Tae kwon do, a fully qualified Tae kwon do instructor and referee.
She is registered with the British Taekwondo Council.
She regularly judges Tae kwon do competitions at both local and national level.
Bar Standards Board
Sarah Robson is a barrister regulated by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
She is governed by the Bar Standards Board Code of Conduct.
The Barristers' Register shows (1) who has a current practising certificate, and (2) whether a barrister has any disciplinary findings, which are published on the Barristers’ Register in accordance with the BSB’s policy.
Contractual Terms
All work is carried out under COMBAR's standard terms and conditions, payment option A. These can be found here.
These terms will apply to all instructions and briefs accepted from solicitors and other authorised persons unless other terms have been agreed in writing.
Instruction
Sarah aims to make the process of instructing her straightforward. She understands the need to be flexible and to work together as a team to provide practical solutions. If you would like to instruct her please call or email direct. Please do not supply details about the case before checking if she is conflicted.
Work in England and Wales
Sarah accepts instructions from:
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Solicitors, other authorised litigators, employed barristers and legal advice centres in England & Wales
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European lawyers registered with the Law Society and qualified lawyers from other jurisdictions
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Licensed professionals in the UK under the Licensed Access scheme
Please note Sarah is not Direct Access Qualified. Members of the public should seek a solicitor.
Fees/Timescales
Sarah is happy to discuss fees, which are usually based on her hourly/daily rate, and agree a fixed fee, which will vary depending on the work required. These fees are likely to be higher if your case is particularly complex or urgent.
A fixed fee means she will charge you a set amount of money for the work required. She will need to agree a fee in advance for each piece of work going forward.
She is willing to provide quotations or estimates of fees and a timetable for completing work. Fee quotations or estimates will usually be based on hourly/daily rates. She can also in some circumstances offer a fixed or capped fee for drafting or a hearing.
For trials she will provide an estimate of a brief fee and where appropriate, a refresher rate. Fees may be structured in a way to suit the client, for instance charging agreed fees for preparation of a skeleton argument, for general preparation, and for attendance at court.
Timescales
Timescales for completion of work can depend on a number of factors, examples being: availability of Counsel and/or client; complexity of the matter; and number of papers involved; and will obviously be affected by the volume of other work being undertaken. For instance if counsel is engaged in a two-week trial it may not be possible to complete work within the usual timescale. As a guide, she would normally expect to complete paperwork within three weeks unless external factors (which will be explained at the outset) prevent this.
As regards court work, much depends on the timetables provided by the courts, over which she has no control, and the need to comply with court prescribed timetables. Work required to comply with these timetables has to take priority over other work.
Complaints
A Word copy of Chambers' Complaints Procedure can be found by clicking here. A pdf copy can be found here. If you require Chambers’ Complaints Procedure or this complaints information in an alternative or accessible format, please contact Sarah by email or telephone.
If you are unhappy with the response to your complaint, or if you receive no final response within eight weeks and you fall within their jurisdiction you may take up your complaint with the Legal Ombudsman, the independent complaints body for complaints about lawyers.
Please note that you must ordinarily complain to the Legal Ombudsman within one year of the act or omission complained of, or within one year of when you should reasonably have known that there was cause for complaint. You must also complain to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving Chambers’ final response to your complaint.
If you are dissatisfied with Chambers’ final response to your complaint, or if eight weeks have passed since you made your complaint and it has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you may have a right to complain to the Legal Ombudsman.
You may make a complaint to Chambers free of charge.
If you are the lay client, you may complain directly to the barrister or to Chambers. You do not have to make your complaint through your solicitor.
You can write to them at:
Legal Ombudsman
PO Box 6806,
Wolverhampton
WV1 9WJ
Telephone number: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
More information about the Legal Ombudsman is available on their website: http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/
The Ombudsman’s website of decisions during the last 12 months, showing against whom the Ombudsman has made any ruling, or any decision requiring a remedy, is available at Ombudsman decision data | Legal Ombudsman
Sarah spoke at the ACL Costs Conference in Manchester on "Black Belt Court Craft". She ended the entertaining talk with a board break.
Kevin Latham was not injured in the making of this talk.
