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:
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 stands for Value Added Tax, and 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.
If you are an overseas client, you may not be required to pay VAT.
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).
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:
The above fee does not include:
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:
The above fee does not include:
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.
Crime Team
These are members of our Crime Department, who may be allocated to prepare your case.
