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Fees

Premium Private Fee Service - Criminal Defence

JD Spicer Zeb can give you a transparent quote and advise you on the costs involved in hiring a criminal lawyer, solicitor, or barrister. If you are seeking an enhanced private service for the best chance of obtaining a successful outcome, contact the Senior Partners, Umar Zeb/Lisa Nicol or James O'Donnell. Contact us or call 0207 624 7771.

Our Lawyers are highly ranked independently on many platforms online such as Google, Trustist and Review Solicitors. 

You need the best legal team to advise you. We respond rapidly and if you have not been interviewed we advise you in advance whether to answer police questions or to answer no comment. Can bad advice or an inexperienced lawyer damage your case? Yes it can! We can meet out of hours or weekend, at our office, virtually or your choice of location by agreement. An expert witness can be engaged by us to give a defence opinion on an issue that is outside the police or court’s expertise. Experts can be instructed to assist the police or court in understanding your technical defence which might be financial, medical, scientific or professional.

Umar Zeb and our team have substantial experience in building your case with proactive work. We continue to achieve almost daily conclusions of cases prior to arrest and charge by making written and oral representations to authorities.

The government has recently stated that particularly in domestic, rape, and sexual offences, they will push to achieve higher convictions. As an established firm, we can allocate a whole team to assist you. This service is of particular benefit in sensitive allegations, allegations of harassment, assault and violence.

Where possible, we establish that there is insufficient evidence for you to be charged and/or that a prosecution should not proceed in the public interest. We build detailed, strong legal submissions and a ‘no stone unturned’ defence to your pre-charge case.When suitable, in routine cases, we can help on a Fixed fee basis from £500 plus VAT and provide initial advice for up to 2 hours. More complicated cases or substantial work will attract higher fees. If you have been accused of a criminal offence, it is imperative to deal with problems that will arise rapidly, often we can do proactive work. Few, if any firms, can beat us on response times to your inquiry, as they do not have the time or support staff. We can investigate your case as far as possible, if the police are not doing this or you require an independent investigation and preparation. We have strong resources and experienced teams.

Why should you consider premium service for the Police Station stage?

  • You can consult the Senior Crime Partners and lawyers of this firm directly same day including out of hours
  • Help from a specialist and pro-active Lawyer can lead to the right outcome for you
  • You will receive the highest level of client care possible from your lawyers including out of hours
  • We can offer affordable and fixed fee solutions
  • In private cases, we can also guarantee the attendance of the most senior and experienced solicitor available to attend any Police Station in England and Wales with you (including virtual attendances)
  • This can only be done when we are instructed privately and not on legal aid
  • You are instructing a firm with an excellent track record and client reviews
  • We aim to get the case dropped early in proceedings
  • If the case is likely to have serious consequences for you now or in the future and you have the means to pay for this service
  • If you wish to maximise the prospects of a successful outcome to your case
  • We won the Law society Excellence Award 2020 for Excellence in Client Service
  • If you wish to instruct a firm with over 45 years of experience in the most serious and complex national-level cases regularly attracting widespread media interest

What can we do through private funding?

  • Arrange an advance private meeting with you before the Police Station and cover your case at the Police Station privately, including out of hours and on weekends if you wish
  • Advise you and your family, if you consent
  • Make contact with the Police on your behalf or write to the Police and request a review and discontinuance of the case or seek an out-of-court disposal, caution or outcome
  • Assist in interviewing witnesses on your behalf
  • Engage specialist experts if advised, such as doctors or forensic experts
  • Provide a second opinion if you had a duty solicitor or other lawyer and we can obtain your notes
  • Engage a specialist barrister in complex cases
  • Arrange the transfer of your case to us from a previous solicitor

Our fee guide for the Police Station stage advance meetings and proactive work for you -

Preparation rates are from the rates below. These are a guide only

  • 2 hours meeting and preparation can be undertaken from £500 plus VAT (suitable most cases for initial advice only)
  • 3 hours meetings and preparation can be undertaken from £750 plus VAT (suitable for initial work and follow up)
  • 4 hours meetings and preparation can be undertaken from £1,000 plus VAT
  • 5 hours meetings and preparation can be undertaken from £1,250 plus VAT

If the case is complicated, it will require more senior lawyers and more time, which will have an impact on fees.

Attending the Police Station

In order to attend the Police Station with you privately, we can usually agree on a fixed fee from £500 to £2,500 plus VAT depending on the location and complexity. We can meet with you before and after attendance at the Police Station. Our Lawyers are experts and can make a big difference to the outcome. 

We are always reasonable on fees and willing to agree on fair fees. We are flexible on fees as we know our clients sometimes go through difficult financial periods. If you cannot pay the full amounts, please contact us to discuss fees.

All fees currently attract 20 % VAT.

Private Court Attendance

Why consider premium service for court attendance?

  • You will receive a first-class bespoke premium service
  • You can choose a specialist advocate or barrister who may not be taking legal aid case
  • Many clients want experts and care that a senior solicitor brings to their case
  • Where a conviction would lead to serious repercussions for their career
  • Solicitors undertaking legal aid work at court are likely to have multiple cases and can only do work that is reasonably required from publicly funded work
  • You will not always be able to choose the most senior solicitors/barristers through legal aid
  • You will not be able to have repeat meetings through legal aid
  • You may not be able to order reports that are not fully justifiable at public expense but could make a difference to the outcome of your case through legal aid. You can also order and pay for whatever experts you require
  • Once paid on a private basis to attend court we can do everything that you reasonably require and our professional rules allow.
  • You will probably receive a more thorough service, which is especially important for complex cases
  • You can also pay for whichever solicitor or barrister you wish to represent you

Our fee guide for criminal cases private Magistrates’ court or Crown court attendance (non-motoring cases). These are only a guide.

  • First appearance or routine hearings or sentence at court only depending on location, complexity from £1,000 plus VAT to £2,500 plus VAT. (Complicated legal argument hearings are not covered by this fee). The fees may be higher for Senior team members
  • You may benefit from a meeting in advance to discuss the case

Estimates for trials or other non-motoring work

We can only provide a realistic estimate once we have appeared at court and have received a meaningful indication of the Prosecution evidence. We can provide a guide only below.

  • Trial magistrate courts from £2,000 to £5,000 Plus VAT where more work is required
  • Appeal magistrate court from £3,000 plus VAT plus additional costs to be quoted
  • Crown Court - we cannot provide an estimate until we know more about the case. A guilty plea will cost from £2,500 to £5,000 plus VAT, plus the cost of advocate for hearings and other costs for reports, experts etc.
  • Not guilty plea cases will cost from £5,000 to £20,000 plus VAT for most cases. Complicated or more serious cases requiring more work, with voluminous papers, meaning substantial preparation will require a bespoke quotation.

Hourly rates not fixed fee agreements

  • We can offer hourly rates depending on the complexity of each case. We have provided a guide below for starting rates
  • Partner from £400 per hour
  • Solicitor from £300 per hour
  • Trainee/paralegal from £250 per hour
  • Letters, calls and emails are charged at 1/10 of the hourly rate.
  • We will give you an estimate in good faith on the number of hours your case is likely to require. This estimate can be based on the entire case or by each stage of the case (pretrial, preparation and trial, sentences)

All rates will attract additional VAT at 20%.

Other charges

There may be additional costs for barristers, experts, reports, interpreters, or other associated disbursements such as photocopying, bundling etc.

Legal aid

We will always advise you on legal aid eligibility if you seek this and our team will apply for public funding if you are eligible.

You are under no obligation to instruct us privately if you qualify for a legal aid service.  Our team is dedicated to providing a high quality service in all cases. For more information, click here.

 

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Why choose JD Spicer Zeb?

  • 1000's Cases Dropped
  • 24/7 Emergency Phonelines
  • 100's Years Combined Experience
  • Google Reviews Read all Reviews

Recent Cases

There is limited recourse for you if you are falsely accused. Click a selection of the cases we have covered. The best thing you can do is to instruct an excellent solicitor from the outset.

R v N M - client acquitted of rape

Read more cases

How can we help?

How proactive work helps you -

Our team of Senior Lawyers can help you or your family. We act for clients from all walks of life. Our team are recognised as leading criminal lawyers. We can give you access to a Senior Crime Partner on the same day, including out of hours. Senior Partners and Lawyers have the best experience and professional contacts to benefit you. We can assure you peace of mind and access to leading lawyers.

We specialise in ensuring the Police and prosecution provide the fullest disclosure to ensure our clients are fully aware of the case they face and do not come across surprises down the line. This also ensures that we can be certain a prosecution can proceed.

As part of our service we can, in appropriate cases, secure the best possible results by plea bargains.

OUR PROFESSIONAL BODY THE LAW SOCIETY AWARDED US IN OCTOBER 2020 WITH THE EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE AWARD AND STATED - 

"JD Spicer Zeb demonstrated a clear commitment to client service through their work with vulnerable and diverse individuals in what can be severely traumatic circumstances".

We can advise you on whether we should commence proactive work and engage professional support such as experts and barristers. We can invite the Police or prosecuting agency to not pursue or drop investigations. We can do this if there is little or no evidence and or it is not in the public interest to prosecute you. We can also seek out of court disposals such as cautions or community resolutions.

We are experts at making successful written representations and legal arguments to the Police and prosecution as part of our robust proactive work. See our website for our success.

Our lawyers fight for justice on a daily basis and have a proven track record. It may be possible to speak to the most senior lawyer or partner on the same day. Simply put, this could make a difference to your case. We can arrange the opinion of a specialist experienced barrister or QC. We have strong links with some of the best barristers and KCs (Kings Counsel) in the UK. If you require Legal Aid funding, please get in touch on the contact form or call us. Read below a small sample of the hundreds of successful cases we have done. We have been doing this for 45 years!

Legal aid is available for Police Station attendance, this scheme does not extend to:

  • Meetings prior to attending the Police Station
  • Proactive work to assist your case
  • Meeting with you after attending the Police Station 24 hours a day
  • Other preparation and proactive work to try to get the case dropped
  • Advising parents or parents on your case, with your consent.

Some clients prefer discussing their case in advance or after their Police Station attendance. This can only be done on a private fee basis

Common questions

We always work with the most experienced and best leading UK barristers, KCs (Kings Counsel). We cover all criminal cases 24/7 at the police station and court. Offices in London, Birmingham, and Manchester cover cases across England and Wales. We can offer Legal Aid and affordable Private fee agreements. We can see you the same day, including virtually. Our Senior Partners supervise all of our cases.

How quickly do you respond?

We respond quickly even during out of hours. We do not get our work by paying for online adverts but based on the fact that few criminal law firms can match our 45 years of experience. Most of our cases are still from word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied clients. We are called daily by dissatisfied clients from firms with less experience than us. We respond very quickly to new enquiries. We know what clients seek and so we update clients rapidly.

Can you get cases dropped?

Yes, read about the recent cases we've helped our clients with here.

We always keep you updated and give straightforward advice. We will get cases dropped early where the case is weak or should not be prosecuted. We will be upfront with you about where you can benefit from a good result with an early guilty plea, such as a discount on your sentence. As we work on cases across all levels with clients from all walks of life, we are excellent at giving clear, spot-on advice. As an established firm, we can allocate a whole team to your case often at short notice to secure evidence to minimise the damage to you. 

Have you won any awards?

OUR PROFESSIONAL BODY THE LAW SOCIETY AWARDED US IN OCTOBER 2020 WITH THE EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE AWARD AND STATED - 

"JD Spicer Zeb demonstrated a clear commitment to client service through their work with vulnerable and diverse individuals in what can be severely traumatic circumstances".

Do you offer free consultations?

Where it is possible, we aim to provide an initial consultation to you. If we can speak to you, we can if required inform you about  –

  • Whether we can take the case on and our relevant experience.
  • Public and private funding benefits.
  • Assistance in applying for legal aid where we are likely to accept instructions.
  • An outline of options in police interview only. We will not advise you on which option to adopt.
  • Providing our free written guide explaining the police station process.
  • The gravity of routine and day-to-day offences you face.
  • Consequences of not attending the court or police station.
  • Consequences of interfering with any witnesses.
  • Retaining any evidence in support of your case.
  • If possible an outline of the elements of the offence that the police or CPS must prove.
  • This consultation will normally be by telephone or email and will only be for as long as we deem necessary to establish if we can act for you. If we cannot usefully give you any advice in this manner then we will not continue with the consultation. We will not discuss the case in depth for you to be able to decide on your plea or any significant aspect of the case, as this cannot be undertaken informally.
  • Referring you, if possible, to other firms for matters out of our specialism or if we cannot help.

Consultations do not apply to the following cases –

  • If we do not intend to take the case on.
  • Road Traffic cases, drink driving, drug driving, driving bans, speeding, no insurance, mobile phone use, points etc.
  • In all cases where we do not have the capacity to take your case or the availability of suitably qualified staff to provide an initial free consultation. This is applicable in all cases but especially where a more senior lawyer is required because of your personal needs or the complexity of the case.
  • Harassment/stalking/ coercive behaviour/malicious communications or road traffic cases and most sensitive cases. These cases are often too complicated to assess in short consultations.
  • The locations concerned may be too distant to represent you adequately or it may not be cost-effective for you or us.
  • The case is too complicated to assess or raises various charges or facts, complexity, or history to be considered informally or in a short consultation.
  • In most Legal aid transfers where legal aid is granted to another firm except in very grave cases, we may assess the case and merits for a transfer.
  • If your relationship has broken down with your existing solicitor or several solicitors.
  • If you have been released under investigation and have already had a police station attendance. 
  • If you hold legal aid with another firm and seek a second opinion.
  • If you are calling on behalf of the client as a friend or family member unless you have full authority and full facts.
  • To businesses.
  • Advising whether you were given good advice by your other solicitor.
  • Whether to decide to plead guilty or not guilty.
  • Whether you have an arguable defence in law or factually complicated defences.
  • Any advice you have had after your first court appearance.
  • Any advice on appeal on conviction or sentence.
  • If we feel we are unable to communicate with you.
  • If we are likely to be conflicted or breach our professional rules.

How can we help?