Police Station
We no longer offer Legal Aid as part of our service. If you find yourself needing a Solicitor in the Police Station the cost is entirely covered by Legal Aid. There are a number of Criminal Legal Aid Lawyers that cover each Police Station in the Country and we strongly recommend you seek the assistance of such a Lawyer. If you cannot locate a Lawyer then the Duty Solicitor would be made available to you.
Court cases
All of our Criminal Solicitors can assist with representation in the Magistrates Courts. We can also provide representation for you in the Crown Court as David Charles and Ben Darby are also Higher Court Advocates.
Motoring Prosecution
With the ever increasing amount of Vehicle Offences and detection rates you may find yourself in the unfamiliar surroundings of a Courtroom. As a Firm we have a wide range of experience in defending motoring cases from both privately funded and legal aid Clients. If you would like further advice on an impending motoring prosecution please do not hesitate to contact one of our Solicitors at this Office.
Legal Aid / Costs
You may qualify for Legal Aid for Court Proceedings. If you feel you may be eligible for Legal Aid please contact a Legal Aid Criminal Defence Firm as soon as you are aware of your Court date, as it will assist to have your application processed in good time before your first hearing. If you do not qualify we will be able to offer competitive rates for privately funded work. Our standard fee for a single appearance (such as a Drink Driving plea) is £450+vat (£540). We choose a fixed fee to help you budget, as opposed to an hourly rate. This fixed fee includes: obtaining disclosure from the Prosecution, advising you on the initial case from the disclosure papers, one Court attendance where we will represent you during the hearing, advice on appeal after the outcome of your hearing. We do not anticipate any disbursements (out of pocket costs) being incurred in these types of cases. Should the need arise (for example obtaining your own Forensic Report) we would discuss such costs with you in advance. Our fixed fee does not cover: further Court Hearings, separate offences dealt with on the same day, preparing for Trial, contacting witnesses, instructing Experts, or any further work beyond the initial consideration of case papers, advising you on them and representing you at a single hearing.
Should you require representation at a Trial (or other contested hearing) then we would charge our fees on an hourly rate of £200+vat @20% per hour (£240 per hour inc. vat). Should we need to instruct a Barrister on your behalf then we would obtain a fixed price "brief fee" from a selection of Barristers in advance of you incurring such costs.
How long does it take?
The majority of Court cases (over 90%) complete at the First Hearing so your case will be finished as soon as the Hearing is over. Trials depend on Court Time and availability and can be anywhere between 3-18 months depening on the Court, the length and seriousness of your case.
Contact us on 01803 313656 or email: david@darbylaw.co.uk
