In the United Kingdom, if you have been arrested or charged with a crime, you have a right to legal advice and representation from a solicitor. In some cases, you may be even entitled to criminal legal aid at no cost to you. In others, you could have to pay a nominal fee. In still others, you may be responsible for the entire cost of legal representation. The bottom line is that whether you are charged with drink driving, fraud, assault or any other criminal offense, you are entitled to advice at the police station at no cost to you, and you may be further entitled to criminal legal aid if the courts decide to pursue charges against you. Here's what you should expect when hiring a criminal solicitor or drink driving solicitor to handle your case.
Finding a Solicitor
If you have been arrested and taken to the police station, you have the right to legal advice while you are being questioned by the police. There are two options when finding a criminal solicitor. You may accept advice from the duty solicitor, in which case the next solicitor in the rotation will take your case. Conversely, you may request your own solicitor to represent you and the police will attempt to contact the solicitor of your choice.
Sometimes friends or family members may know a solicitor. Other times, you may need to find a specialised solicitor through various services. In most cases, it will be to your advantage to seek a solicitor with skills and experience handling cases of your type. If you are being charged with drink driving, for example, you'll want a drink driving solicitor who has expertise in defending these types of cases. If you're being charged with assault or fraud, you'll want a criminal solicitor who understands the law surrounding those crimes and the possible defences against them.
What You Should Expect from a Solicitor
The solicitor you choose should review your legal issue, explain all of your options, and recommend a course of action. You should expect your solicitor to clearly explain any fees he will charge for the work he does for you, and to provide you with the agreement between you in writing. Your solicitor should explain procedures to follow to take advantage of criminal legal aid that may be available. If the law firm holds a 2010 criminal contract that makes them eligible to be paid by the Legal Services Commission if you qualify for criminal legal aid.
Tips for Choosing a Criminal Solicitor
The most important qualification for choosing a criminal or drink driving solicitor is that you feel comfortable telling him or her all the facts he needs to help resolve your problem. If you do not feel that you can talk to your solicitor, you will not be able to get fair representation. Aside from that, you will want to ask a number of questions to help you determine which solicitor is the right one to take your case. Those questions might include:
Have you successfully handled cases similar to mine?
How many cases have you handled and what is your success rate?
What are the terms of the solicitor fee agreement?
Can you provide me with references from other clients?
What are the possible outcomes of my case and approximately how much will it cost?
Whether you need a drink driving solicitor in Kent or a criminal solicitor in Chatham or London, it's always important that you have the advice of an experienced solicitor to help you through the legal system.
Author Resource:
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world's MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
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