Frequently Asked Questions
Please read this document carefully before formally instructing us. It explains how our Agreed Fee model works, what is and is not included, and what to expect from us. It applies to all of our services, including Criminal Defence, Pre-Charge Advice, Motoring Offences, and Police Station Representation, alongside the specific quote you have been provided.
Understanding Your Agreed Fee
What is an Agreed Fee?
An Agreed Fee is a fixed fee, agreed between you and your solicitor before work begins, covering a defined stage of your case. It cannot be increased once agreed, and is payable whether or not the work is ultimately completed. It is not held on your behalf with client-money protections; it belongs to the firm from the point of payment. All Agreed Fees are non-refundable (see ‘Fees, Payment & Refunds’ below).
How long is my quote valid for, and what happens if I don’t instruct you within that time?
We are a specialist, niche law firm, and we deliberately take on only a limited number of new cases each week. This is because we devote significant time to preparing every case properly, so that all of our clients receive exceptional legal advice and representation throughout. Your quote is valid for the period stated in your quote email, and reflects our availability to accept your case at the time it was provided; our availability changes on a day-to-day basis.
If you contact us after your quote has expired, one of two things may happen. In some cases, we may no longer be able to accommodate your case at all, as we may have taken on other clients in the meantime, and these cases typically carry Court deadlines and deadlines for the service of documents, meaning less time remains to prepare a case properly the longer you wait. Alternatively, we may still be able to accommodate your case by rearranging our existing workload, but because less time now remains before any relevant deadline, your case would need to be prioritised, and the fee we are able to offer may be higher than originally quoted. This is not a penalty; it reflects the additional pressure of preparing your case properly within a shorter timeframe. In all cases, accepting your instruction after your quote has expired remains subject to our availability at that time.
What is, and isn’t, included in my Agreed Fee?
Exactly what is covered is set out in your quote email. Please read it carefully; anything beyond that scope is not included, and would require a further Agreed Fee to progress.
What might cost extra, beyond my quote?
Each case is individual and develops differently. Some cases only ever require the one Agreed Fee you have been quoted; others may require further fees as the case progresses. If you are unsure whether further fees are likely in your case, please ask the lawyer appointed to your case, who will be able to advise you. The following are not included in your initial Agreed Fee, even if your case continues:
- Additional telephone meetings or calls, beyond the one included in your package
- Representation at further Court hearings, if your case is adjourned
- Appointing a specific solicitor or barrister of your choice, rather than whoever we allocate (charged separately as a disbursement)Instructing an expert, such as a medical professional, to produce a report or attend Court
- Meetings held somewhere other than our offices, such as your home or workplace
- International travel
We will always tell you as soon as we identify that further fees are likely to apply.
Do you accept payment for expert witnesses?
No. Where your case requires an expert witness, for example to produce a report or attend Court and give evidence, we do not accept payment on the expert’s behalf, and their fees never form part of any Agreed Fee. We will obtain a written quotation for the cost of the expert’s work, but you will need to pay the expert directly, yourself. To be clear: any payment you make to us is strictly for our legal fees, our legal advice, representation, and any barrister’s or Court representation fees, never for an expert witness.
Meetings, Court Hearings & Representation
Can you attend the Police Station for me in an emergency?
No. All Police Station attendances we provide are pre-booked and pre-arranged in accordance with our availability; we do not offer an emergency Police Station callout service. This applies even where the arrest relates to a matter we are already instructed on, or to a new allegation, such as an alleged breach of bail. If you are arrested without notice and taken to the Police Station, please ask for the duty solicitor; the duty solicitor will be able to represent you at that interview, we cannot.
What if I can’t attend a meeting?
Please give us at least 36 hours’ notice so we can offer the slot to another client and reschedule you. If you do not attend a meeting that has gone ahead as booked, that meeting is treated as provided, and a further fee will apply for another one. Where a telephone meeting cannot take place and your case requires a Court hearing, the lawyer representing you at Court will cover everything the meeting would have addressed.
How many Court hearings are included, and what if I don’t attend?
Usually one. If your case is adjourned, whether because you did not attend, the Court relisted it, or for any other reason, representation at that further hearing requires a further Agreed Fee. If you do not attend Court, we will first seek to have the matter adjourned so it can be heard when you are present, resulting in exactly this situation.
What happens if my hearing is not effective, for example if there are no Magistrates available?
Occasionally, a hearing cannot proceed on the day, for example, because no Magistrates are available, there is an emergency at Court, or the prosecutor is not present. Even where this is entirely the Court’s fault, and not yours, if your solicitor or barrister has attended Court on the day, that attendance fulfils our obligation to represent you at that hearing under your Agreed Fee. If the case is then adjourned to a further date, representation at that further hearing will require a further Agreed Fee.
What if I ask you to request an adjournment because I can’t attend?
We will make the request to the Court on your behalf. However, unless and until the Court confirms to us, in writing and in advance of the hearing date, that the adjournment has been granted, we cannot treat the hearing as adjourned. As a law firm, we have professional obligations to protect your position, so unless we have received that written confirmation beforehand, our default position is to still send a solicitor or barrister to attend on the original date, even if you are not attending; we would risk being negligent if we did not. That attendance fulfils your Agreed Fee for that hearing. If the case is then adjourned to a further date, representation at that hearing will be a further, separately payable fee.
Will the same solicitor or barrister represent me throughout?
We aim to keep the same solicitor or barrister on your case and at each hearing, but this is not always possible, cases and Court dates can clash. If your usual lawyer is unavailable, a qualified member of our team will step in, and we will notify you of the change. With many of our packages, the solicitor who conducts your initial conference and the barrister who represents you at Court are different people from the outset.
Will the advice I receive during my conference be the same as the advice I receive at Court?
Usually, yes. However, when a barrister or solicitor attends Court on your behalf, they will often speak with the prosecutor beforehand. The prosecutor may provide further information about the alleged offence, or further evidence, that was not available at the time of your conference. Where this happens, the barrister or solicitor will review that information there and then. If it affects the initial assessment of your case, they will provide you with updated advice, based on the new evidence or information now available, which may differ from the advice given during your conference. This is a normal part of how cases are prepared, and does not mean the earlier advice was wrong, it simply reflects the case as it stands at that time, based on the information available.
Is a successful outcome, including an Exceptional Hardship application or mitigation, guaranteed?
No. We will always prepare and present your case as strongly as possible, but no outcome can ever be guaranteed, this applies as much to an Exceptional Hardship application or a plea in mitigation as to any other aspect of your case. The Court makes the final decision based on the evidence and submissions before it, and even a well-prepared application can be unsuccessful.
Are barrister’s fees included?
Yes, where your quote includes Court representation, we will appoint and cover the cost of a barrister where appropriate. If you would like a specific barrister of your own choosing instead, their fee is not included, and will be charged separately as a disbursement.
Do you charge for travel or waiting time?
No. Reasonable travel time and costs to and from Court or the Police Station are included, as is any waiting time beyond what we anticipated, at no extra charge. Unreasonable travel, for example insisting we attend your home or workplace, is not included, and would need a separate Agreed Fee.
What if my invoice for a Court hearing has not been paid?
We will not attend or represent you at a Court hearing, or any subsequent Court hearing, unless payment has been received well in advance of that hearing. This includes any additional day of a trial: for example, if you have paid for representation across a set number of trial days and the trial overruns into a further day, payment for that additional day must be received in full before we will attend. We will not represent you at that extra hearing on the basis of a promise to pay afterwards.
Funding Your Case
What funding options do you offer?
We only act on an Agreed Fee basis. We do not offer Legal Aid (Public Funding), and we do not usually accept instructions funded by Legal Expenses Insurance (LEI) unless we have specifically agreed to do so and your insurer confirms they will cover our fees in full. We are unable to advise you on your own LEI cover or your eligibility for Legal Aid; if either might apply to you, please contact your insurer, or a firm that offers Legal Aid, directly.
Fees, Payment & Refunds
What happens if I can’t pay, or pay late?
All invoices are payable upon receipt. We work on a stage-by-stage basis, and if an invoice remains outstanding, we will not carry out any further work on your file until you have prepaid for that stage; work does not proceed on the basis of a promise to pay. Please contact us as soon as possible if you are struggling to pay an invoice; we may be able to agree extra time, but late payment fees can apply, and unresolved non-payment will result in your case being closed, and us notifying all relevant parties that we are no longer instructed, at which point you would need to represent yourself or instruct another firm for the next stage. If you suffer any loss or detriment to your case as a result of late payment or non-payment, for example a missed deadline or being unrepresented at a hearing, we accept no responsibility for that loss, as it will have arisen from your own failure to pay on time.
What if I don’t understand what a further Agreed Fee covers?
In more complex cases, or cases progressing toward trial, you may be asked to pay more than one Agreed Fee as your case moves through different stages. If you are ever unsure what a further Agreed Fee or invoice is for, or what it covers, please contact us immediately, before making payment, so that we can explain and clarify this for you. If you do not raise any questions or concerns and proceed to make payment, we will treat this as confirmation that you fully understand the next stage, what the payment is for, and what it covers.
Can I get a refund?
No. All Agreed Fees are non-refundable. This applies even if:
- You decide not to continue with your case
- You no longer need to attend a hearing that was included in your fee
- Your case does not ultimately proceed to Court
- You change your plea to Guilty after your case has been prepared for trial
- You choose to instruct a different firm partway through
This is because you are paying for our availability and the work undertaken on an agreed, fixed basis, not for a particular outcome.
If I am found not guilty, do I get my legal fees back?
If the Court makes a Defence Costs Order, you will receive a contribution from Central Funds or the prosecution towards your legal fees. This is usually paid at Legal Aid rates, so it will not cover your full costs, but it will go some way towards what you have paid us.
Communication & Business Hours
How and how often will you communicate with me?
We usually communicate by email and phone, so we can give you written advice quickly. Let us know if you would prefer letters instead. Our standard response time for all emails and telephone calls is 5 working days; we will often respond sooner where we are able to, but 5 working days is the response time you should expect and plan around.
What is my responsibility when it comes to communication?
Just as we aim to respond to you promptly, we ask that you do the same. Please check your email regularly, including your spam or junk folder, and respond to us as promptly as you can; delays in responding to us can affect your case, particularly where a deadline or hearing is approaching. You must also keep us updated with any change to your contact details, including your address, phone number and email address. We cannot be responsible for you missing correspondence sent to contact details you have not kept up to date.
What are your business hours?
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. We are closed on weekends and Bank Holidays. Our telephone lines are not operational outside of these hours; if you try to call us outside business hours, you will not be able to reach us. Our emails are not monitored outside of business hours either, and you should not expect any response to an email sent outside Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, not even an acknowledgement.
This also applies to attendance at Court or the Police Station. If, for any reason, you are required to attend Court or the Police Station on a Saturday, Sunday, Bank Holiday, or after 5pm on a weekday, our offices are closed and our lawyers are not required to represent you at that appointment.
Client Confidentiality & Instructions
Will you discuss my case with my family?
The nature of our work is highly sensitive. To maintain client confidentiality, and to ensure we receive clear and accurate instructions, we will only discuss and deal with you, our client, directly. Even where family members are keen to be involved, we are not usually able to accommodate this; the involvement of others can compromise your ability to give us clear, independent instructions. The exception to this is where we act for a youth client, for example a client under the age of 16, in these cases, we will accommodate a parent assisting and being involved, where the child is the client.
What is my responsibility when it comes to giving you instructions?
The advice and representation we provide is only as good as the information and instructions you give us. You must provide us with full, accurate and honest information at all times, including about your personal circumstances, your account of events, and any previous convictions, cautions, or other ongoing matters. If you withhold information, or provide information that is incomplete or inaccurate, and this affects the advice we give you or the outcome of your case, we cannot be held responsible for the consequences.
What if I choose not to follow your advice?
We will always give you clear, honest advice, but the decisions in your case are ultimately yours to make. If you choose not to follow our advice, whether in relation to your plea, the evidence to obtain, how you conduct yourself, or any other aspect of your case, and this affects the outcome, we cannot be held responsible for the consequences of that decision.
What Our Work Involves
What do the lawyers actually do on my file?
Depending on your case, our work typically includes legal research, reviewing case papers and evidence, telephone conferences, drafting file notes, letters and statements, correspondence with the Court, CPS or Police, internal case discussions with colleagues and counsel, ongoing case reviews, responding to your queries, and attendance, travelling time, and advocacy at Court or the Police Station.
Questions Specific to Motoring Offences
What if I am offered a speed awareness course instead of prosecution?
This is offered entirely at the discretion of the police force; there is no automatic entitlement to one. If you accept it within the time limit, you will not be prosecuted and your file will be closed, this is a good outcome, but your Agreed Fee remains non-refundable. If you would prefer to be represented at Court instead, simply do not accept the course, and we will represent you as agreed.
If You Are Not Satisfied
What should I do if I have concerns about my case or our service?
No lawyer can guarantee a particular outcome; every case carries some uncertainty. If you have concerns about how your case is progressing, or about the service you are receiving, please raise them with the lawyer handling your case as soon as possible, so that we can address them directly.
