Fees/Legal Aid

If you have been charged or summonsed for an offence...

Representation in the Youth Court:

If you are aged 18 and under you are likely to be eligible for free legal representation, ie legal aid.

Representation at the Magistrates Court:

If your case is sufficiently serious and passes what is known as the ‘interests of justice’ test and either you are in receipt of income support, income based jobseeker’s allowance, guaranteed state pension credit or income-related employment and support allowance or you have a low household income, legal aid is normally available. Legal aid is means tested and determining eligibility can be fairly complex. Feel free to contact us and we will advise you as to whether you are likely to qualify for free representation.

Representation at the Crown Court:

Legal aid is available for everyone but is now subject to a means assessment. If you are in receipt of income support, income based jobseeker’s allowance, guaranteed state pension credit or income-related employment and support allowance or you have a low household income you will be eligible for free legal aid. In other circumstances you will be eligible but will have to make a contribution to the court towards your legal aid which can be from both income and capital. Determining this can be complex. Feel free to contact us for more advice on this.

For full information relating to legal aid you can also look directly at www.legalservices.gov.uk

What if I don't qualify for free representation?

In the vast majority of cases we can offer you representation for a competitive fixed fee. We have managed to do this by keeping our overheads low to ensure you can afford to be represented by an experienced qualified solicitor despite the Government's introduction of means testing in the Magistrates Court in 2007. If you pay privately and you are not convicted of the offence, we can apply to the Court for a refund of your costs. Click below for details of our private rates.