Funding

Hurleys Solicitors are able to represent individuals appearing for police interview or before the criminal courts on either a privately funded or legally aided basis.

Legal aid in the criminal courts

Legal aid in the criminal courts is granted subject to a two-stage test. It is first necessary for the Legal Aid Agency to determine whether the case is sufficiently serious that it would be in the interests of justice to grant legal aid. Secondly an assessment is made as to whether a defendant is financially eligible for legal aid. If a defendant’s income, together with that of their partner where they are married or co-habiting, is in excess of the eligibility threshold, legal aid would not be granted in Magistrates Court proceedings or would usually be granted with a requirement to make a financial contribution to the Legal Aid Agency in Crown Court proceedings.

Details in relation to financial eligibility and means testing can be found here: Criminal legal aid: means testing - GOV.UK

We welcome inquiries in relation to legal aid funding and eligibility and we are more than happy to assist with submitting an application for legal aid on your behalf.

Private funding

We are also able to represent individuals on a privately funded basis where legal aid is either not available or where private funding is preferred. Individuals who choose to fund their representation privately are able to benefit from an increased choice of barristers available to assist at the Crown Court and also benefit from the firm having more freedom to carry out work on matters which may otherwise fall outside the remit of legally aided cases.

It is not possible to provide a fixed fee for private funding in court proceedings as this would depend on factors such as the complexity of the matter, stage of proceedings, plea, nature of the offence and location of the proceedings. Our starting fee to represent individuals for an initial hearing at Poole Magistrates Court would however usually be £695 plus VAT (£834 total price).

If you would like to discuss private funding for either Magistrates Court or Crown Court matters, please contact us and we will be able to provide a bespoke estimate of our fees taking account of the particular circumstances of your case. We are also happy to discuss payment plans where this would assist.

Police station interviews

Anyone is entitled to free representation by one firm of solicitors if they are being interviewed under caution at the police station. If you would like Hurleys Solicitors to represent you in this capacity, please contact us as soon as you are arrested or contacted by the police to arrange an interview by voluntary attendance.

We are also happy to discuss representation at the police station on a privately funded basis which enables us to offer services such as appointments to discuss matters in the office or pre-charge advice after interview which may not be otherwise possible under public funding. Please do not hesitate to contact us in order that we can discuss your options and provide you with an estimate of our fee tailored to your individual needs.

Benefit fraud interviews

We do not offer legal aid for Benefit Fraud or DWP interviews. We therefore charge a fixed fee of £500 plus VAT (£600 total price) for attending an interview, which would include:-

Initial meeting (subject to receiving pre-interview disclosure)
Representation at the interview