- What should I say at the Police Station ?
- Can I get Legal Aid at the Police Station ?
- How does legal aid work at Court ?
- I've heard if I win I can't recover my crown court costs ?
- I've been told all I can say is I didn't do it !
- Abuse of Process what does it mean ?
- Can I access Social Service Records of those complaining ?
- What records are made during an investigation ?
- What should I say at the Police Station ?
This is a matter that requires careful thought and consideration . You must approach this with the benefit of Legal Advice and it follows that we advise whoever you select never be interviewed in a historical case without a Lawyer present . If you are arrested without notice then call a good lawyer and if due to the Hour you cannot then ask for the Duty Solicitor if you are later unhappy you can always instruct a new lawyer .
Some Legal Reps have a bad habit of advising those suspected out of course to make no reply - do not go along with advice to make no reply unless their are proper and good reasons . Think how a jury will react to hearing you chose not to answer the police questions .
On the other hand ther emay be cases where this approach is advisable or the other option to put in a statement and then not answer the questions .
Above all always make the decision based upon the disclosure given and your legal advice and be preared ot challenge why that advice is given before deciding what to do .
- Can I get Legal Aid at the Police Station ?
For cases of this nature the answer is yes . Currently such representation is not means tested and provided this is the first time you have been interviewed in the current investigation then you will get legal aid to be represented .
- How does legal aid work at Court ?
Legal Aid is means tested in both the Magistrates Court and Crown Court . Generally Historical Allegations are considered ot be serious offences which can only be heard in the Crown Court it may be therefore that you will only have one appearanc ein the Magistrates Court . Sometimes you may not qualify for legal aid for the Magistrates part of the case but will get Legal Aid with a contribution in the Crown Court .
All persons can get an offer of Legal Aid in the Crown Court but your contribution may be considerable and you will need to consider whether it is more cost effective to accpet the contribution or to fund the case yourself . But see our FAQ on Crown Court Costs .
- I've heard if I win I can't recover my crown court costs ?
Well Since 1st October 2012 if you are tried before a Crown Court you cannot recover your Legal Costs unless you meet a exceptional set of circumstances . Most persons will not meet that requirement and you will not be able to recover your costs .
This means if you reject legal aid and a high contribution you need to be aware you will not recover your legal costs .
We offer a range of packages for Crown Court work to ensure that you can seek to limit costs if you proceed without legal aid , avoiding some of the horror stories we have all heard of the amounts some firms are prepared to charge people .
- I've been told all I can say is I didn't do it !
If you have been told that this is potentially bad advice and probably flags you have the wrong legal team acting for you .
You should be proactivley looking to build a defence , exploring witnesses and turning each allegation on its head and exploring with your lawyer ways to challenge the complainants allegations .
Successful challenges to these sort of allegations lies in a forensic approach to each and every fact within the allegations .
- Abuse of Process what does it mean ?
Coming Soon
- Can I access Social Service Records of those complaining ?
Coming Soon
- What records are made during an investigation ?
Coming Soon