Being investigated or charged is frightening, and most people it happens to have never dealt with the police or a court before.
The single most important thing to understand is this: what you say in the first hour often matters more than anything that happens afterwards. Interviews are recorded and used in evidence. Explanations that feel helpful at the time frequently are not.
Get advice before you speak to anyone.
What we do
Police station representation
Advice and representation in custody or at a voluntary interview. We will speak to the investigating officer, find out what the allegation actually is, advise you privately before any interview, and sit with you throughout.
→ Police station representation → Voluntary interviews under caution
Motoring and driving offences
Speeding, careless driving, dangerous driving, failing to provide driver details, and totting-up disqualifications. These affect people who have never been in trouble before and who often stand to lose their livelihood with their licence.
Drink and drug driving
Driving over the prescribed limit, failing to provide a specimen, and drug driving. Disqualification is mandatory on conviction for most of these, which makes the defence and the mitigation genuinely consequential.
Assault and public order
Common assault, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, affray and public order offences. Frequently arising from a single incident, often with disputed accounts and conflicting witnesses.
Fraud and financial crime
Fraud by false representation, fraud by abuse of position, false accounting, and money laundering allegations. These investigations are typically long and document-heavy, and early advice materially affects the outcome.
Court representation
Advice, preparation and advocacy in the Magistrates' Court, and instruction of counsel for Crown Court matters.
What to do if you are contacted by the police
Get legal advice before the interview. Not afterwards. Advice is free at the police station and it is available whether you have been arrested or invited voluntarily.
Do not assume a voluntary interview is informal. It is conducted under caution and recorded. It carries the same evidential weight as an interview after arrest.
Do not try to sort it out yourself. People routinely believe that explaining will resolve matters. Sometimes it does. Frequently the explanation becomes the evidence.
Do not discuss it with anyone involved. Contacting a complainant or witness can amount to a further offence and will make bail conditions considerably harder.
Write down what you remember, now. Dates, times, who was present, what was said. Memory degrades quickly and cases move slowly.
Understanding the caution
Before any interview you will be cautioned:
"You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."
Each part means something specific.
You do not have to say anything. You have a right to silence. It is real.
But it may harm your defence... Under sections 34 to 37 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, a court may draw an adverse inference if you stay silent and then rely on something at trial you could reasonably have mentioned. That is why silence is a tactical decision, not a default.
Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Including things said before the recorder starts — in the van, in the corridor, in the cell.
Deciding between answering questions, giving a prepared statement, or answering "no comment" depends on what the police have disclosed, what the allegation is, and your account. It is not a decision to make alone, and it is the main reason to have a solicitor present.
How a criminal case progresses
Investigation. The police gather evidence and interview you. This can take days or, in complex cases, well over a year.
The decision. No further action, an out-of-court disposal such as a caution or community resolution, or a charge. For many offences the decision is made by the Crown Prosecution Service, which applies a two-stage test: whether there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, and whether prosecution is in the public interest.
Released under investigation or on bail. RUI has no time limit and cases can remain open for many months. Pre-charge bail carries conditions and statutory review periods.
First hearing. All criminal cases start in the Magistrates' Court. Summary-only offences stay there. Indictable-only offences are sent to the Crown Court. Either-way offences are allocated depending on seriousness and your election.
Trial. Magistrates or district judge in the Magistrates' Court; judge and jury in the Crown Court.
Sentence. Following the Sentencing Council guidelines, taking account of culpability, harm, aggravating and mitigating factors.
How we work
We tell you where you actually stand. If the evidence is strong we will say so. False optimism costs clients the credit for an early plea, and we will not do it.
Clear fees. Fixed fees where the work is predictable, clear hourly rates and estimates where it is not.
Discretion. Consultations by telephone, video or in person, outside office hours where necessary.
Preparation. Most cases are won or lost on preparation rather than performance — disclosure examined properly, the prosecution case tested, the right expert instructed.
Where we act
Our office is at 47 High Street, Maidenhead. We act at police stations and courts across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey, including:
→ Criminal solicitors in Reading · Slough (when built)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a solicitor if I have not been arrested? Yes, if you have been invited to a voluntary interview. It is conducted under caution, recorded, and carries the same weight as an interview following arrest. "Voluntary" describes how you attend, not how serious it is.
Is legal advice at the police station free? Yes. Advice and representation at the police station are free to everyone, regardless of income or the offence. There is no means test. Advice at the police station is free under the legal aid scheme, but only from firms holding a criminal legal aid contract. We act on a privately funded basis, so if you need free representation ask the custody officer for the duty solicitor.
Should I answer "no comment"? Sometimes. Sometimes it damages you. It depends on what the police have disclosed and what your account is, and a court may draw an adverse inference from silence in certain circumstances. This is exactly the decision a solicitor is there to help you make.
How long can the police keep me? Normally up to 24 hours from the relevant time. A superintendent can extend to 36 hours for an indictable offence, and a magistrates' warrant can extend further, up to 96 hours in total. Terrorism cases operate under different rules. Your detention must be reviewed periodically.
What is "released under investigation"? You are released without bail conditions while enquiries continue. There is no statutory time limit, and cases can remain open for many months. We will chase the investigating officer for updates.
Will this show on a DBS check? It depends on the outcome and the level of check. Convictions and cautions are disclosed subject to the filtering rules. An arrest without charge would not normally appear on a standard or basic check, but may be disclosed on an enhanced check in limited circumstances. We can advise on your position.
Can you guarantee an outcome? No, and be cautious of anyone who does. What we can do is make sure the case against you is tested properly, that you understand your options, and that your case is put as well as it can be.
Internal links out: all criminal spokes · /contact
