The fee for a barrister will vary according to the difficulty of the case, the travel distance and expenses, and the volume of work required. For instance, a lawyer may need to undertake a lot of reading and background research if they are unfamiliar with the case before they are "court ready." A lawyer will obtain the cost of a barrister for a client so they may determine if they want to hire that barrister or not. When you have been granted a court date, it might be difficult to choose a specific lawyer to represent you. It might be challenging to try to fit issues into everyone's schedule, including your spouse's, so you might need to be adaptable and look at different counsel choices.