Short answer
Before requesting a restrictive covenant barrister quote, gather the employment contract, restrictive covenant wording, termination or resignation documents, correspondence alleging breach, evidence about clients or confidential information, any undertaking or injunction deadline and a short chronology.
Quick checklist
Start with these
Contract And Exit Documents
Start with the documents that create the alleged restriction and explain how the employment or engagement ended.
- Employment contract, director service agreement or consultancy agreement.
- Non-compete, non-solicitation, non-dealing and confidentiality clauses.
- Garden leave, notice, bonus and termination clauses.
- Resignation, dismissal, settlement agreement or exit correspondence.
- Job description, seniority and client relationship evidence where relevant.
Alleged Breach And Business Interest Evidence
A barrister will usually need to understand what the covenant was said to protect and what breach is alleged.
- Letters before action, requests for undertakings or threatened injunction papers.
- Evidence about clients, suppliers, staff approaches or confidential information.
- New role, competing business or recruitment documents that can safely be shared.
- Loss, risk, client relationship or confidential information evidence.
- Response correspondence and any proposed undertakings.
Urgency, Court Papers And Deadlines
Restrictive covenant disputes can move quickly when undertakings or interim injunctions are threatened.
- Deadline for undertakings, reply or settlement response.
- Any claim form, application notice, witness evidence or hearing notice.
- Start date for a new role, end date of notice or garden leave date.
- Dates of alleged breach, contact with clients or use of information.
- Any connected employment tribunal, settlement agreement or dismissal deadline.
Important Cautions
This checklist is general preparation information only, not legal advice on whether a restrictive covenant is enforceable or breached.
Submitting a quote request does not pause court, injunction, undertaking, employment or settlement deadlines.
Source/review note: restrictive covenant enforceability, confidential information, undertakings and injunction procedure are fact-sensitive. Check current court rules and specialist employment or commercial guidance before adding procedural detail.
Restrictive Covenant Barrister Evidence Checklist FAQs
Should I send the full contract?
Yes, where available. The surrounding terms, role, seniority, notice and garden leave wording may all matter, not only the covenant clause.
What if an injunction is threatened?
Include the exact deadline, letter before action, requested undertakings and any court papers. Do not rely on a quote request to pause urgent deadlines.
Can employers use this checklist?
Yes. Employers can use it to organise contract wording, business-interest evidence, alleged breach material and proposed undertaking documents.
Ask For A Barrister Quote
Barristers4U helps clients request a quote from a suitable Direct Access barrister. The information on this page is general information only, not legal advice about your individual circumstances.
If your matter is urgent, include hearing dates, court deadlines, orders and any documents you already have when you submit your enquiry.