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Fees

Will your private legal costs increase?

Criminal Law private cases

We will quote you for the work that we agree to undertake and set out the steps covered for you in writing. This will be an estimate based on our experience. 

We cannot quote for the entirety of your criminal law case from the first advice that you seek from us, through to any final appeal which can be months or years later. This is not possible, as we do not know how much work will be needed at each stage.

We can quote you for each stage of a criminal law case or multiple stages, providing initial estimates where possible.

The further the case progresses will also lead to further legal costs.

Where possible we can estimate the costs based on the work required by us for each part of the stage or the entire stage. Where possible on hourly rates; we will give you an estimate of the work. If you prefer a fixed fee, we will agree this for a stage or a certain number of hours only. If those hours are exceeded, we will agree further work.

These costs are for the solicitor’s team to prepare the case. We will quote an hourly rate or agree fixed non-refundable fees; normally for each part of the stage or the entire stage, if agreed with you expressly in writing.

Although more stages can arise increasing costs, a criminal case will generally have the following stages and work within the stage –

Where were able to we quote a fixed fee for more than one stage or the work within the stages. We will always make it clear as to what part of any work is included.

We indicate below stages and work anticipated within each stage. We will quote you for the whole stage or part of that stage. You should not assume that all work in the stage is included unless we have expressly stated that such work is included.

This is just a guide only and your quote will be tailored to your case. 

Pre charge advice/ engagement work normally prior to your arrest

  • Advice you seek prior to or post investigation or arrest.
  • Advice sought in relation to liaison with the prosecution agency, such as police.
  • Further advice or meetings including preparation work.

Police station work and attendances required

  • Representation you seek at the police station or agency investigating for each visit separately.
  • Return visits to the police station.
  • Advice you seek in relation to dropping the case against you pre charge and representations in writing.
  • Further advice or meetings including preparation.

Court stage

  • If charged advice prior to court.
  • Representation at your first court hearing.
  • Adjourned hearings relating to your case.
  • Representation at an adjourned sentencing hearing if you are pleading. Guilty. Cases are adjourned for further information or reports to assist the court with sentencing decisions.
  • Representation following a guilty plea to determine facts affecting sentence known as a newton hearing.

Trial stage

  • Representation at interim hearings to deal with the case management or disclosure.
  • Trial and preparation for this.
  • Sentencing post-trial.

Breach of bail

  • If you breach your bail and you are arrested, then our further costs are not covered by fixed fee agreements.

Bail variations

  • We do not know how often you will seek to vary onerous bail conditions and any application to alter will not be covered by fixed fee agreements.

Legal visits

  • We quote your costs when on bail to include work on bail by Zoom or at our office. If you are subsequently in custody, then the fixed fee will not include travel time/waiting to legal visits and costs of travel.

Site visits

  • Our fixed fee will not include doing work outside of our office (Unless stated Otherwise).

Solicitors or clerk attending court.

  • Sometimes as the case develops your barrister may request that they are supported at the trial by a solicitor or legal clerk to take a full note of advice, evidence, and the court proceedings or to assist you or your witnesses at court. If this arises then you will have to pay for this at a daily rate or fixed fees to be agreed for the duration of trial plus any other expenses such as travel and or hotel.

Appeal stage

  • Advice on appeal.
  • Preparation and representation for appeal.

Barristers

  • These costs are additional, and we will quote them in advance or where not possible to quote in advance, we will incur reasonable costs and charge you. Barristers are specialist advocates normally instructed by solicitors to advance legal arguments at court or draft documents/ prepare specialist opinion and advice.
    www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/for-the-public/about-barristers.html

Reports/experts/interpreters/court fees and other costs

  • The fees quotes will cover our fees to undertake work. They will not cover the costs of experts and reports. The costs of interpreters or translations are not covered. Other costs are not covered and will be advised.

Travel and hotel fares

  • These costs are not included and additional. We will charge these in addition for your case where required.

Defendant’s costs order

  • If you are acquitted and have applied for and been refused Legal Aid the Court may order that there, be a contribution towards your costs see our private terms document. We will arrange for an external Costs Draftsman to draw your bill of costs and conduct the process with our input ( see further costs in private terms).

 

Bespoke Private Fee Service

If you believe your case is likely to have serious consequences for you now, or in the future and you have the means to pay for this service

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Do we offer free consultations? 

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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.

Read more cases

How can we help?

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?