Your Experienced Criminal Defence Team
We ensure that all of our staff are constantly updated in changes to the law and put the client in the best position they can be in, and to robustly defend any allegations or charges they may be facing. We pride ourselves on the reputation we have: not only with our clients but also amongst other fellow professionals
Police Station Advice
- We are available for police station attendances 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When under arrest at the police station our attendance at the police station is covered by the Legal Aid scheme.
- Being arrested and accused of a criminal offence can be a frightening experience. Our knowledgeable team will attend and ensure that your rights and interests are protected. Making sure that you have the right advice is crucial at the police station as you need to lay the foundations of your defence at this early stage.
- Being arrested and accused of a criminal offence can be a frightening experience. Our knowledgeable team will attend and ensure that your rights and interests are protected. Making sure that you have the right advice is crucial at the police station as you need to lay the foundations of your defence at this early stage.
- Ensuring that you choose the right firm is crucial and with Abbey Law you can rest assured that all our staff are experienced and suitably qualified. Our solicitors are INDEPENDENT from the police. We do not work for the police or any other investigating body.
- Quite often we are contacted by people who have been arrested and interviewed who feel that the advice and representation that they received was inadequate. If you’re in a similar situation you should contact us urgently. Quite often the police will conduct further interviews and in some circumstances you can ask to be further interviewed yourself. We will guide you through this complex process.
- Here at Abbey Law we always put the client first and will always make strong representations to the police to ensure that our clients get the best result possible. Do not worry if you do not have our telephone number when arrested, as long as you ask for Abbey Law we will be contacted.
Voluntary Attendance at the Police Station
- The police may contact you and arrange for you to attend the police station on a voluntary basis. This means that you’re not under arrest but the police still wish to interview you as a suspect. Your rights remain the same as if you were arrested. You are still entitled to be legally represented and have your own solicitor present. Again this attendance is quite often covered by legal aid.
- Just because you are attending as a volunteer does not mean that you are not a suspect. If you have received a request to attend as a volunteer you should contact us immediately so that we can advise you further.
- If you fail to attend for a voluntary interview the police can arrest you in order to interview you. However should you attend as a volunteer it will mean that you will not be under arrest or placed in the cell but merely there for the interview process.
- Following a voluntary interview the police can release you without charge or they can continue investigating the matter. It is crucial to get Abbey Law on board as soon as possible as we can liaise with the police and even after the interview process provide the police with further evidence which may stop the police from charging you.
- Quite often we find that people attend the voluntary interview process believing that they are witnesses and not suspects. It’s only when they arrive at the police station and the officer advises them that they are being interviewed under caution that they realise that they are a suspect. If this should happen you should stop the interview immediately and advise the police that you wish to be legally represented. The Police cannot refuse you the right to have a solicitor present.
- We are often approached by clients after the voluntary interview has taken place. We can still assist at this stage and urge you to contact ourselves as soon as possible so that professional legal advice can be given even at this stage and if required a further interview with the police.
- By instructing us at Abbey Law you can rest assured that you are instructing a criminal defence specialist firm who will be on your side from day one.
Attending Court
- Being charged by the police or summonsed to attend court does not mean you are guilty of an offence. You should contact Abbey Law immediately so that we can begin to work on your defence. The earlier you contact us the more beneficial it will be to your case.
- Our specialist team of advocates can assist you in making an application for legal aid or advise as to the costs involved. We will also be in contact with the Crown Prosecution Services or any other prosecuting body to obtain the advanced disclosure (this is a summary of the allegations that you face). Once we have the advanced disclosure we will take instructions further and progress your defence. Quite often we can obtain this disclosure prior to your first court hearing. This is advantageous to your case as we will know prior to the hearing date the nature of the allegations.
- In defending our clients we feel that it is vital that any experts such as Cell Site, identification, voice recognition, post mortems, medical, psychiatric, computer and other experts are identified and instructed as soon as possible. Here at Abbey Law we regularly instruct experts at the Magistrates Court and Crown Court to assist in the defence of our clients.
- If you face a more serious charge then it is likely that your case will go to the Crown Court. We like to identify and instruct Barristers as soon as possible. We regularly instruct Barristers from across the country including Birmingham, Derby, Nottingham, Stafford, Manchester, Leicester, Sheffield, Hull, London and other parts of England and Wales.
- Choosing the right Barrister is crucial. Each Barrister is an expert in their field and brings different expertise to a case. We constantly review those that we instruct ensuring that all Barristers instructed are the best for each individual client. We also work closely with a number of the Country’s leading Queens Counsel also known as Silks. By working closely with the Barristers and Queens Counsel that we know and trust ensures that we can always get the best results for our clients.
Find Out How We Can Help
Contact us now for a no obligation consultation to discuss your case and let us take control of your defence.