Crime Fees
Our Fees for Crime-related Matters
As part of our committment to transparency, we publish a list of our general fees for our Criminal Defence services. Please note that they are generic and may be different depending on the specific circumstances on your case.
We will discuss the best method of payment with you prior to you instructing us. In many cases individuals prefer to have certainty in relation to the costs they will incur. In such cases, we operate a fixed fee payment system that varies according to the complexity of the case. The range of costs is set out below. However, for clients who prefer to be billed on an hourly rate bases and on the most complex cases our hourly rates are shown below.
Please note that the fees shown below do not include VAT. More information regarding this is below.
At the Police Station
| Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Police Station attendance per case | £1,000.00 - £2,000.00 |
At the Magistrates, Crown Court and certain Appeals
| Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Guilty Pleas (not listed for trial) | £1,000 |
| Magistrates Court Trials | £2,500 - £5,000 |
| Exceptional Hardship or Special Reasons | £1,750 |
| Appeals from Magistrates Courts to Crown Courts | £5,000.00 |
| Crown Court Fixed Fee Trials | £20,000 |
Private Hourly Rates
For Crime and Family our rates are:
| Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Partner | £350 |
| Solicitor | £250 |
| Non-qualified Staff | £150 |
What all our fees do not include
All fees do not include:
- VAT, which will be charged at the standard rate current at the time the fee is incurred.
- Disbursements such as Interpreter Fees, Medical Report, Counsels Fees, Expert Reports. These costs will be discussed with you prior to being incurred.
What are Disbursements?
Disbursements are additional costs in the case which will be recovered from you. These may include the time it takes to travel to a Magistrates Court outside of Central London, travel expenses (fuel/train) to the Magistrates Court, expert report costs, interpreters' fees, barrister fees and travel costs. This is not an exhaustive list of additional costs but aimed at giving you an idea of what may be included in your circumstances. Mileage is charged at 45p per mile plus VAT.
What is VAT?
VAT is a tax that we are obligated to collect for the U.K. Government. It is charged as a percentage on top of our fees. We do not benefit or profit from this.
The current rate of VAT is 20%. For example, if our fee is £500, you will be charged £600 (this is £500, plus VAT of 20% which is £100, totalling £600).
In some cases, if you are VAT registered you may be able to claim this back. You should seek your accountants' advice on this.
What our charges cover
Guilty Plea
For a typical summary only offence, involving a guilty plea and concluded in a single court attendance, we will:
- Take your initial instructions, usually via a telephone consultation
- Review and consider the prosecution evidence
- Advice in relation to the evidence, plea and likely sentence
- Represent you at a single hearing at a Magistrates Court within Central London
- Advice in respect of process, options and next steps
The above fee does not include:
- Additional hearings due to adjournments beyond our control
- Interviewing witnesses and drafting witness statements
- Instructing expert witnesses
- Application for 'exceptional hardship'
- Application for 'special reasons'
- Representation at trial
- Any work or advice relating to an appeal or appeal process
- Any court fees, third party costs or other charges
- hould a guilty plea be adjourned for reasons beyond our control we will charge an additional fee of £500 plus VAT for appearing before court again.
If you require representation at a Magistrates Court outside of Central London, please contact us as different fees may apply.
Exceptional Hardship or Special Reasons
If you need assistance with either an application for 'exceptional hardship' or an application for 'special reasons' our fees cover:
- Taking your initial instructions, usually via a telephone consultation
- Review and consideration of prosecution's evidence
- Identifying and obtaining any mitigation
- Interviewing witnesses and drafting witness statements
- Review and consideration of any evidence which assists with the application to court for an 'exceptional hardship' or 'special reasons' argument
- Representation at a single hearing at a Magistrates Court within Central London to put the argument forward
The above fee does not include:
- Additional hearings
- Instructing expert witnesses
- Seeking advice from a barrister should the case require
- Representation at trial
- Any work or advice relating to an appeal or appeal process
- Any court fees, third party costs or other charges
- Expert witnesses' costs must be paid in full by you prior to instructing the expert. We will obtain a quote from the expert and subject to your approval of costs and payment by you in full, we will instruct the expert and request the statement/report be completed for the case.
Any hearing extending beyond one session will incur an additional cost of £500 plus VAT.
If you require representation at a Magistrates Court outside of Central London, please contact us as different fees may apply.
Not Guilty Pleas and Trials
Not guilty pleas will require our assistance to challenge the case against you at a trial in Court. This includes representation at your first court appearance where your plea of not guilty will be entered. The court will then try to ascertain the nature of your defence, the number of witnesses on the prosecution's side and on the defence's side and estimate how long the trial will last.
The cost of the trial will depend on several factors and the complexity of the case. These factors may include where the trial will be heard, the number of trial days, the number of witnesses on both sides, whether expert witnesses that are required, whether you require representation by a barrister.