We will discuss funding and fees with you from the start, before you incur any cost.
If Legal Aid is available for your case we will apply without charge to the Legal Aid Agency seeking funding.
If Legal Aid is not available for your case we can offer fixed fees and pay as you go instalments and "No Win No Fee" in suitable cases.
We will always give a clear written indication of our fees and the money we expect to pay out on your behalf during the case at the start and from time to time during the proceedings so you always know so far as is possible the costs you have agreed to incur.
If you have a court appearance about a motoring offence in the Magistrates Court that will be dealt with in one hearing brought under the summary only provisions of part 1 of the Road Traffic Act 1998 and Section 89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Find out about our fixed fee offer and how we comply with the Transparency Rules of the Solicitors Regulation Authority, when providing that service.
If you are arrested and taken to a police station, we will represent you free of charge.
We will attend no matter the time of day or night and our service operates every day of the year.
If you are not arrested, but the police wish to speak to you about a criminal offence you are said to have committed, we can usually attend and act on your behalf without any cost to you.
If you are charged with an offence, you may wish to apply for a representation order for a solicitor to act for you at court. This is what used to be called Legal Aid. In order to receive funding, your case has to pass a merits test. This means it must be serious enough that the court thinks you need a solicitor.
If you pass the merits test, you also need to pass the means test, which says that you cannot earn over a certain amount once your expenses are deducted. If you earn too much then you will not be able to receive public funding in the Magistrates Court.
If your case goes to the Crown Court, you will be granted a representation order if your disposable income is under the statutory limit which varies from time to time.
In addition following the means test it may be that you will have to pay a contribution from your income. This contribution is worked out by the legal aid agency. Payment is over 6 months but by paying 5 months on time or by way of lump sum the 6th Month is waived.
The legal aid agency also consider whether or not you will have a contribution to make from capital. The first £30,000 of capital is ignored for this purpose. A contribution from capital only occurs at the end of the case should there be a guilty plea or conviction in your case.
Should you be found not guilty then no capital contribution is paid and any income contribution is returned to you. If your case involves being found guilty on some matters but not guilty on others then the judge can make an order to determine what proportion of any contribution should be returned to you if any.
In some cases the contributions can be high and you can decide to decline the offer of representation via legal aid and come to a private arrangement with us. We will outline fully the fees to be paid and often will deal with the matter by way of a fixed fee quote so that you know exactly where you stand.