Funding

Funding at the police station

When a person arrested is taken to the police station they are given their rights & entitlements and asked whether they want legal advice. They can then nominate a solicitor or firm of their choice or request the services of a duty solicitor. Whatever the choice the advice and representation is free through Legal Aid.

If, however, you or someone you know has been asked to attend the station by appointment for an interview there are some circumstances where they’re not entitled to free representation. As and when this situation arises, please contact us and ask to speak with one of our solicitors. We will happily advise you further after taking some information from you over the phone or arrange a consultation with one of our team.

Although we have a Legal Aid contract covering all police stations you may also want to look at funding your case privately. You can request a particular senior solicitor’s attendance at the police station. This can be arranged, and we will quote a fixed fee so you’ll know exactly how much this will cost.

Legal Aid at Court

If you or someone you know is charged with an offence that will be dealt with at a magistrates Court, legal aid may pay for all of the costs of legal representation in court. It’s not available for all cases as it’s targeted at those who need it most.

Two tests will be applied and both must both be passed to get free legal aid:
• the Interests of Justice test
• the means test (consideration of financial position, household income, capital, and household outgoings).

When someone applies for legal aid at court they automatically qualify for free legal aid funding. That happens if they pass the Interest of Justice test or if they:
• are under 18
• receive specific state benefits

Details of eligibility rules can be found on the following links;
• Means testing in the court
• Eligibility calculator
• Interests of Justice test

Private Fees for Magistrates and Crown Court

If you fail the means test and your case is in the Magistrates’ Court, you will not be given legal aid. In this instance you will need to look at funding your own costs.

When your case goes to the Crown Court the means test will determine the amount you need to contribute. In the situation where you are then found not guilty any payments made will be refunded with interest. However, you still have the right to choose to decline legal aid and pay for your costs privately.

If you are paying for all your defence costs and are subsequently found not guilty you can apply to reclaim some or all of their defence costs from central funds.

Fixed fees for driving offences

We provide a clear and fixed fee structure for speeding offenses, beginning at £750 plus VAT, contingent upon the intricacy of the case and the proficiency of the solicitor you opt for.

Here are our fees for Magistrates Court appearances:

Appearance for all driving offenses, covering the 1st appearance, mention, and sentence: £750 + VAT
Driving trial: £2000 + VAT
Exceptional Hardship/Special Reasons driving Application: £1500 + VAT

Privately paying for a partner

When you’re looking for the best possible service, the partners at MK Law (Manisha Knights & Hesham Puri) have between them decades of legal experience. They’ve covered numerous high profile and serious cases. These range from multi-million pound drugs importations to the Hatton Garden robberies and wildly reported celebrity stalking cases. They can support whether at the Police Station, Mags Court, Crown. Court and up to the Court of Appeal.

For all Queries relating to Criminal Fees please call 020 8692 2694 and ask to speak with Manisha Knights or Hesham Puri.