Criminal Law
Our Department, headed by Will Harrington has the experience to assist you. Recognised by certification as Higher Rights Advocates in the Crown Court the partners are assisted by very experienced solicitors and paralegal staff, they provide accessible and sound legal advice to achieve the best outcome for clients at a time and place when you need help. Whatever your circumstances you are entitled to take legal advice.
If you have to go to a Police Station whether as a volunteer or under arrest you are entitled to free legal representation. Contact us as soon as you are aware of an investigation as the earlier we can offer advice the better. Facing proceedings before a Court is a daunting prospect.
We can guide you through often complex areas of the law explaining the choices open to you and helping you achieve the best outcome for you and your family. Anyone can be accused of wrongdoing and how you deal with it can make a real difference to your future.
We provide expert and practical advice on issues such as:
Police investigations
Bail applications
Assaults and serious violence including murder
Drug offences
Sexual offences
Theft and fraud
Traffic offences
Crown Court cases
Court of Appeal cases
Breach of court orders
Applications for Criminal Behaviour Orders and Preventive Orders
Domestic Violence Protection Notices, Domestic Violence Protection Orders, and Breaches
Breaches of Anti-Social Behaviour Injunctions
Terrorism offences
Proceeds of crime applications
Benefits investigations
Dangerous dogs law
Courts Martial
Trading standards prosecutions
Road Traffic Law
Most of us drive either as a private motorist or for a living. The consequences of road traffic prosecutions can have a significant impact upon our lives and that of our families by way of disqualification. More serious road traffic prosecutions may even carry terms of imprisonment with often life changing consequences as a result. We are experienced in advising and representing clients in often complex areas, regularly challenging evidence of alleged wrong-doing.
Road traffic law has complex legal and evidential procedures the Police have to follow to prove a case. Seemingly open and shut cases can be won by challenges to evidential procedures that would not be obvious to many.
If you have to go to a Police Station whether as a volunteer or under arrest you are entitled to free legal representation.
Contact us as soon as you are aware of an investigation as the earlier we can offer advice the better. Whether you have just been charged, receive a summons or requisition, contact us so we can advise you. Courts expect you to be able to enter a plea and disclose your defence at the very first hearing. These are important steps to take and early good advice is essential.
We provide expert and practical advice on issues such as:
Drink driving
Drug driving
Speeding cases
Careless and dangerous driving
Causing death by careless or dangerous driving
Causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs
Causing serious injury by dangerous driving
‘Totting up’ cases including arguing exceptional hardship Special reasons cases
Applications for removal of disqualification or return of licence
Appeals against DVLA revocation of licence.
Appeals against driving convictions and bans
Fixed fees - summary road traffic offences
Summary road traffic offences are those motoring offences that are dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court only. Funding these cases may be done with legal aid or by your paying for our advice. Whether you qualify for legal aid may depend on the offence you are accused of, what the prosecution says about the offence and what you say about the offence. This will also depend on your financial circumstances. We can advise you on whether you may qualify for legal aid.
If you choose to pay us to represent you, we may be able to offer you a fixed fee for cases dealt with at a single hearing. These cases are subject to an initial assessment by us of its complexity and other factors. Subject to this assessment our fixed fees for advice and representation at our Magistrates’ Courts where the case is concluded at the first hearing and are either:
Local cases (those within 30 minutes travel time of our offices) - £500 plus VAT*.
Up to an hour away from our offices - £700 plus VAT*.
We also regularly appear at other Courts in the Midlands area and sometimes further afield and subject to assessment may be able to offer a fixed fee on enquiry.
These fees represent about three hours of work.
Where you do not qualify for legal aid and a fixed fee is not available our hourly rates are:
Partner and Senior Solicitor - £180 per hour plus VAT*.
Solicitor - £150 per hour plus VAT*.
Non-qualified staff - £120 plus VAT*.
*VAT is charged at 20%
Dangerous Dogs Law
We can advise and represent people accused of owning or being in charge of either banned breeds or dogs that have bitten or hurt someone. These are very stressful times as our clients regard their dog as part of the family.
Whether you own a banned breed is a matter of expert opinion and we can challenge a Dog Legislation Officer’s opinion with our own expert. Your dog may have been seized because the police say it has the characteristics of a banned breed. We can help you fight to get the dog returned. Often Court proceedings will follow in which we can represent you.
A court has to decide whether you have a dog that is dangerously out of control: If the Court finds you guilty then orders for destruction (putting your dog down), of confiscation of the dog, of disqualification from keeping an animal, compensation and punishment for a criminal offence may follow. We represent owners, family and friends accused under this legislation to defend them from on criminal charges and to argue that a Destruction Order should not be made.
Early contact is essential so we can have our own expert examine your dog. We can then argue against breed classification and against Destruction Orders.
If you have to go to a Police Station whether as a volunteer or under arrest you are entitled to free legal representation. Contact us as soon as you are aware of an investigation as the earliest we can offer advice the better.
We provide expert and practical advice on issues such as:
Your dog has bitten someone and the police are involved
Your dog has been seized by the police
You are being taken to Court for having a Dangerous Dog
You are being asked to agree to your dog being destroyed without Court proceedings
Accused of having a dog dangerously out of control
Dog dangerously out of control in any place where death or injury is caused
Possession of a prohibited dog, breeding, selling exchanging or advertising a prohibited dog
Appealing against a Destruction Orders, and Contingent Destruction Orders
Applying for the Removal of a Disqualification from keeping animals
Family Law
When parents separate, children, especially those old enough to express their views, can often feel caught in the middle of their parent’s dispute. Children can often feel their own views are lost in their parent’s ongoing dispute and when matters are concluded best outcomes for a child may be missed.
Do I have to go to Court?
As family solicitors, we see many cases that boil over into legal disputes and court proceedings. Often it will be necessary for parents to undertake professional mediation with a mediator appointed by the Court. If you have to go to Court, then a court-appointed professional called a CAFCASS officer is often appointed to talk to parents and children to help find the best solution for the child concerned. The Court are likely to involve a CAFCASS officer earlier in this process which may save on time later. As Court proceedings can be expensive anything that reduces the areas of dispute can be helpful for everyone.
Families and relationships have developed over the last couple of decades with blended families becoming commonplace. Often multiple people are involved in a child’s life all of whom provide love, care, and support to that child.
In most cases, both the mother and the father of a child will have parental responsibility. Parental responsibility means all the rights, duties, powers, responsibilities, and authority a parent of a child has in relation to the child and the child’s property by law. It enables a person to make decisions about the child’s property and welfare including religious upbringing, accommodation, education, and medical treatment.
We provide expert and practical advice on family issues including:
• Non-Molestation Orders
• Emergency Injunction Orders
• Child Arrangement Applications
• Change of Name
Please contact us for further information about how we can help you and your family.
Child Care Law
Getting the arrangements right for your children will be the most important thing you do. We know this is a sensitive and potentially difficult area - our experience will help you get the right outcome. It doesn’t have to be a battle to get what is right for your children. It isn’t a case of one parent winning custody to the exclusion of the other. We seek to avoid conflict and hostility and promote instead an agreement that works for you and your child. Where agreement cannot be reached we will conduct your case with the outcome very much in mind whilst keeping an eye on the potential costs involved.
Care proceedings
Sometimes however hard you try as a parent Social Services can become involved in your family life. We can help parents from the first contact with a social worker right through to the difficult process of court proceedings. Often asking us to help at an early stage can prevent going to Court at all. We can help with advising you of steps you can take to make court proceedings less likely.
We provide expert and practical advice on issues such as:
Child arrangement orders (formerly residence and contact)
Parental responsibility orders
Prohibited steps orders
Urgent action to protect your child
Fighting child abduction
Social Services involvement
Threatening behaviour
Legal aid may be available
Child taken into care
Care proceedings
Freeing up for adoption
Seeing your child in care
Other services
Contact us to discuss what you need help with and we will try and give you expert and practical advice.