In the usual case, a barrister in Victoria is bound by the Barristers' Rules of Conduct to accept an engagement on behalf of a client only through the client's solicitor.

See s3.2.3 of the Legal Profession Act 2004.

However, in certain circumstances, a barrister may accept instructions from a client or approved professional organisation without the intervention of a solicitor. The barrister can do this pursuant to the Direct Access Rules in Part VI of the Bar's Rules of Conduct. Direct access to a barrister is not permitted where:

The User Notes on "Costs Disclosure under the Legal Profession Act 2004" offer assistance to barristers to enable them to comply with Part 3.4 of the Legal Profession Act 2004.

The Bar Council has approved the following agreements for use by barristers in direct access matters:

Disclosure Statement and Costs Agreement for Barristers in Direct Access Matters.

Conditional Costs Agreement and Disclosure Statement for Barristers in Direct Access Matters.

If it is impossible to do so prior to commencing the work, the terms should be executed as soon as is reasonably practicable.

Approved professional organisations for Direct Access.