Legal Aid
Legal aid
Anyone who is being interviewed under caution by the police has the right to free legal advice for this interview regardless of their financial circumstances. This entitlement is set down in the Notice of Rights and Entitlements which the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 dictates must be given to every suspect before they are interviewed under caution.
Being interviewed under caution is a stressful experience no matter what the circumstances. This point of English law means that no one has to worry about the costs of getting legal representation in this difficult and sometimes unexpected scenario.
At Purcell Parker our dedicated and experienced team of legal aid criminal lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide free legal representation at police stations across Birmingham, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Stafford, Warwick, Worcester and Wolverhampton.
What does free representation involve when you have been arrested?
Universally available free legal advice covers your solicitor’s travel to and from the police station and representation at the interview itself. All police stations have a duty solicitor who can provide legal advice to those who have been arrested. However, no matter what you have been arrested for or how many times you have been held in custody before, it’s important to request your preferred representation of Purcell Parker’s 24 hour solicitors in order to secure the best possible outcome for your case.
How does legal aid work for voluntary interviews?
These days many interviews under caution are conducted on a voluntary basis at a pre-arranged time and place. The fact that you are not under arrest at a voluntary interview makes it no less important to make sure you have an experienced solicitor on your side to represent you during the interview.
Just like an interview under caution when you have been arrested, you are entitled to free legal aid representation for the interview itself. If you are asked to attend a voluntary interview under caution, you have the benefit of being able to prepare for the interview with your solicitor who will be able to undertake important groundwork including liaising with police about the details of the case. This work is not covered by the free legal aid available to everyone for an interview under caution.
Who is entitled to legal aid beyond their interview under caution?
Whether you are entitled to legal aid or not depends on the crime you are being investigated for and your personal financial circumstances. Also, even if you are entitled to legal aid, it may not cover all the costs associated with your case.
Every situation is different, so the best thing to do is to speak to your criminal defence solicitor about your individual circumstances. From there, we can advise you on whether or not you are entitled to legal aid and if not we can often provide competitive fixed-fee quotes for our services as we work with you on every aspect of your case.
Free expert legal advice
When you are arrested or are summoned for a voluntary interview, it’s natural to panic and feel flooded by questions about what will happen next. However, it’s important to take things one step at a time and the guaranteed free legal aid for interview under caution enables you to do this. The first and most important thing you can do to set the process in place that will secure the best possible outcome for your case is to call the 24 hour solicitors at Purcell Parker on 0121 236 9781.
If the police want to interview in connection with a crime by placing you under arrest or on a voluntary basis, you are entitled to free legal representation at your first interview. For an experienced expert on your side, contact Purcell Parker.