Premium Private Fee Service - Criminal Defence

Why should you consider premium service for the Police Station stage?

• You can consult the Senior Crime Partners and lawyers of this firm directly same day including out of hours
• Help from a specialist and pro-active Lawyer can lead to the right outcome for you
• You will receive the highest level of client care possible from your lawyers including out of hours
• We can offer affordable and fixed fee solutions
• In private cases, we can also guarantee the attendance of the most senior and experienced solicitor available to attend any Police Station in England and Wales with you (including virtual attendances)
• This can only be done when we are instructed privately and not on legal aid
• You are instructing a firm with an excellent track record and client reviews
• We aim to get the case dropped early in proceedings
• If the case is likely to have serious consequences for you now or in the future and you have the means to pay for this service
• If you wish to maximise the prospects of a successful outcome to your case
• We won the Law society Excellence Award 2020 for Excellence in Client Service
• If you wish to instruct a firm with over 45 years of experience in the most serious and complex national-level cases regularly attracting widespread media interest

What can we do through private funding?

• Arrange an advance private meeting with you before the Police Station and cover your case at the Police Station privately, including out of hours and on weekends if you wish
• Advise you and your family, if you consent
• Make contact with the Police on your behalf or write to the Police and request a review and discontinuance of the case or seek an out-of-court disposal, caution or outcome
• Assist in interviewing witnesses on your behalf
• Engage specialist experts if advised, such as doctors or forensic experts
• Provide a second opinion if you had a duty solicitor or other lawyer and we can obtain your notes
• Engage a specialist barrister in complex cases
• Arrange the transfer of your case to us from a previous solicitor

Our fee guide for the Police Station stage advance meetings and proactive work for you -

Preparation rates are from the rates below. These are a guide only

• 2 hours meeting and preparation can be undertaken from £500 plus VAT (suitable most cases for initial advice only)
• 3 hours meetings and preparation can be undertaken from £750 plus VAT (suitable for initial work and follow up)
• 4 hours meetings and preparation can be undertaken from £1,000 plus VAT
• 5 hours meetings and preparation can be undertaken from £1,250 plus VAT

If the case is complicated, it will require more senior lawyers and more time, which will have an impact on fees.

Attending the Police Station

In order to attend the Police Station with you privately, we can usually agree on a fixed fee from £500 to £2,500 plus VAT depending on the location and complexity. We can meet with you before and after attendance at the Police Station. Our Lawyers are experts and can make a big difference to the outcome. 

We are always reasonable on fees and willing to agree on fair fees. We are flexible on fees as we know our clients sometimes go through difficult financial periods. If you cannot pay the full amounts, please contact us to discuss fees.

All fees currently attract 20 % VAT.

Private Court Attendance

Why consider premium service for court attendance?

• You will receive a first-class bespoke premium service
• You can choose a specialist advocate or barrister who may not be taking legal aid case
• Many clients want experts and care that a senior solicitor brings to their case
• Where a conviction would lead to serious repercussions for their career
• Solicitors undertaking legal aid work at court are likely to have multiple cases and can only do work that is reasonably required from publicly funded work
• You will not always be able to choose the most senior solicitors/barristers through legal aid
• You will not be able to have repeat meetings through legal aid
• You may not be able to order reports that are not fully justifiable at public expense but could make a difference to the outcome of your case through legal aid. You can also order and pay for whatever experts you require
• Once paid on a private basis to attend court we can do everything that you reasonably require and our professional rules allow.
• You will probably receive a more thorough service, which is especially important for complex cases
• You can also pay for whichever solicitor or barrister you wish to represent you

Our fee guide for criminal cases private Magistrates’ court or Crown court attendance (non-motoring cases). These are only a guide.

• First appearance or routine hearings or sentence at court only depending on location, complexity from £1,000 plus VAT to £2,500 plus VAT. (Complicated legal argument hearings are not covered by this fee). The fees may be higher for Senior team members
• You may benefit from a meeting in advance to discuss the case

Estimates for trials or other non-motoring work

We can only provide a realistic estimate once we have appeared at court and have received a meaningful indication of the Prosecution evidence. We can provide a guide only below.

• Trial magistrate courts from £2,000 to £5,000 Plus VAT where more work is required
• Appeal magistrate court from £3,000 plus VAT plus additional costs to be quoted
• Crown Court - we cannot provide an estimate until we know more about the case. A guilty plea will cost from £2,500 to £5,000 plus VAT, plus the cost of advocate for hearings and other costs for reports, experts etc.
• Not guilty plea cases will cost from £5,000 to £20,000 plus VAT for most cases. Complicated or more serious cases requiring more work, with voluminous papers, meaning substantial preparation will require a bespoke quotation.

Hourly rates not fixed fee agreements

• We can offer hourly rates depending on the complexity of each case. We have provided a guide below for starting rates
• Partner from £400 per hour
• Solicitor from £300 per hour
• Trainee/paralegal from £250 per hour
• Letters, calls and emails are charged at 1/10 of the hourly rate.
• We will give you an estimate in good faith on the number of hours your case is likely to require. This estimate can be based on the entire case or by each stage of the case (pretrial, preparation and trial, sentences)

All rates will attract additional VAT at 20%.

Other charges

There may be additional costs for barristers, experts, reports, interpreters, or other associated disbursements such as photocopying, bundling etc.

Legal aid

We will always advise you on legal aid eligibility if you seek this and our team will apply for public funding if you are eligible.

You are under no obligation to instruct us privately if you qualify for a legal aid service.  Our team is dedicated to providing a high quality service in all cases. For more information, click here.