The criminal defence solicitors at Herschel Law represent people under police investigation and people facing charges, from the first interview to trial. Police station attendance is £400 plus VAT and motoring offences are £500 plus VAT. A magistrates' court guilty plea is £1,000 to £1,200 plus VAT. Call 01753 299611.
What you say in the first interview shapes everything that follows. You are entitled to free legal advice at the police station before you answer a single question, and you should take it, however friendly the officer is and however minor the allegation seems.
A voluntary interview is still an interview under caution, and the same rules apply. Our guide to the voluntary police interview explains what to expect. If you have been asked to attend one, call us before you go.
If you have already been charged, the next step is usually a first appearance at the magistrates' court. Tell us the date as soon as you have it and bring the charge sheet.
We attend and advise in interview, after an arrest or an invitation to attend voluntarily. We obtain the disclosure first, tell you in private what the police already have, and sit with you throughout. Whether to answer questions, give no comment or hand over a prepared statement is your decision, but it should be an informed one.
This stage covers the first consultation and working out if you have a defence. We look at the evidence properly, so you know how strong the case against you is before you decide how to proceed.
Many motoring cases turn on a technical point about procedure or evidence, and some turn on an exceptional hardship argument. We tell you honestly if either is open to you.
We represent you from first appearance to sentence, including mitigation. An early guilty plea earns a reduction in sentence, but it is not always the right plea, so we give that advice well before the hearing, away from the court door.
We act on either-way offences sent for trial and on indictable-only matters, working with counsel where the case needs an advocate. We quote once we know the charge and have the papers, because the work involved varies enormously.
The fees below are our professional charges. VAT is shown at 20 per cent so you can see the total. Your written quote confirms the fee, itemises the disbursements and says what is included, before any chargeable work begins.
| Service | Our fee | VAT and total |
|---|---|---|
| Police station attendance (one attendance, arrested or voluntary) | £400 | £80 VAT; £480 total |
| Investigation stage | £550 to £750 | £110 to £150 VAT; £660 to £900 total |
| Motoring offence, including exceptional hardship applications | £500 | £100 VAT; £600 total |
| Magistrates' court, guilty plea (first appearance to sentence) | £1,000 to £1,200 | £200 to £240 VAT; £1,200 to £1,440 total |
| Magistrates' court, contested trial | £2,200 to £3,000 | £440 to £600 VAT; £2,640 to £3,600 total |
| Crown Court | quoted case by case once we have the charge and the papers | As set out in your written quote |
These are starting points for a standard case, not quotations. The magistrates' court fees are our own fee and do not include counsel's fees. The full list of published fees is on the pricing page.
The items below go to other organisations and are added to our fee. Your written quote shows each one.
Our hourly rates are £200 to £350 plus VAT, depending on the seniority of the fee earner. We use it only where a matter cannot be scoped in advance, and we give you an estimated range at the outset. On longer matters we quote each stage separately.
The first three stages often happen on the same day. After that you are told what is happening and what comes next.
If you have been arrested, ask the custody sergeant to call us. If you have been invited to a voluntary interview, call before you attend.
We obtain the disclosure from the officer in the case and advise you in private before any questions are asked.
We sit with you throughout and step in if a question is improper or the disclosure has changed.
We make representations on charge and on bail conditions, and explain what release under investigation means for you. This happens at the end of the custody period.
If you are charged, we go through the evidence with you and advise on plea. This is the point at which you decide how to proceed, so we do not rush it. It takes place before your first hearing.
We prepare the case and represent you through to sentence or trial. First hearings are usually listed within a few weeks.
Your matter is handled by a named solicitor, and you are told who before you instruct us. Waqas Sabah, Director and Principal Solicitor, handles matters in this area. He was admitted as a solicitor in 2018, and you can check his entry on the SRA register under SRA number 585809.
You can read more about Waqas on his profile page, or book an initial consultation.
Solicitor — SRA No. 585809
Yes. Advice at the police station is free to you under the duty solicitor scheme, whatever your means, and there is no good reason to be interviewed without a solicitor present.
Herschel Law does not provide legal aid work, so our fixed fee of £400 plus VAT applies where you choose to instruct us privately instead of using the duty scheme.
Treat it as seriously as an arrest. A voluntary interview is still an interview under caution, what you say is still evidence, and you can still be charged afterwards. The only difference is that you were not arrested to get you there.
There is no single right answer. You can answer, say nothing or hand over a written statement, and the right choice depends on what the police already have and what the allegation is. We learn that from the disclosure first, then advise you in private.
Avoid deciding on the spot, alone, because an officer tells you it will be quicker.
Usually up to 24 hours without charge. For serious offences this can be extended, and with court approval it can reach 96 hours. The police must review your detention at set intervals, and a solicitor can check that they do.
You have not been charged and are not on bail, but the investigation continues and you may be charged later. There is no fixed time limit, which is why it helps to have a solicitor who keeps asking where the case stands.
You confirm your name and address, the charge is put to you and you are asked how you plead. For some offences you are also asked where you want the case heard. Bail is dealt with if it has not been already.
Tell us the date as soon as you have it, because preparing beforehand is worth far more than explaining afterwards.
A conviction produces a criminal record, and so does a caution. How long you must disclose it to an employer depends on the sentence and on your age at the time, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. We explain where you stand before you decide how to plead.
It depends on the offence and the points already on your licence. Twelve points within three years means disqualification unless exceptional hardship is established, which is a specific legal test that ordinary inconvenience does not meet. We will tell you honestly if your circumstances meet it.
If you are in custody or have been asked to attend an interview, call now. Otherwise tell us the allegation, any dates you have been given and whether charges have been brought. Ring 01753 299611 or use the enquiry form on the contact page.
