How to find the best criminal solicitors Leeds

If you’ve never instructed a solicitor before, it can be hard to decide which solicitor is the best person for your case.

In this blog, we explain some of things you should be looking out for to find the right solicitor for you.

Look at their experience

Every firm of solicitors is slightly different, and they’ll have specialisms in different areas of law. If you’ve been accused of a criminal offence, you need a solicitor who specialises in that particular area of criminal law.

For example, at Harewood law, we specialise in:

·      Serious organised crime

·      Financial crime

·      Road traffic offences

·      Criminal appeals

·      Inquests

·      Regulatory law

That means that we’re experts in things like; inquests into deaths, money laundering and drugs supply cases, murder, and conspiracy (to name a few).

But we don’t really take cases involving defamation, domestic abuse, or civil claims like breach of contract.

You can see more about the defence cases we work on here . And you’ll find a summary of our recent cases here.

Check their accreditations

Every solicitor must be registered on the Law Society’s roll of solicitors. You can check it online, here.

If you look up the firm, then you might see that they also have some accreditations. That means that the firm has been recognised by somebody else as being credible and noteworthy in their practice area.

As you’ll see from Harewood Law’s listing, we have three accreditations:

·      Criminal Litigation Accreditation: This accreditation proves that we have a high level of knowledge, skills and experience in the area of criminal litigation.

·      Lexcel Quality Mark: This shows that we’re approved for client care, compliance, and practice management, and that we’re allowed to hold a legal aid contract with the Legal Aid Agency.

·      Criminal Higher Courts Rights: Higher Rights show that we have passed additional exams to be competent advocates in the High Court. We can represent you in court, whereas some other solicitors would need to instruct a barrister to do this.

Look at their location

It’s important that the solicitor you choose is located close to where you live. If they need to come into the police station at short notice, they can be there quickly so there’s minimal waiting around.

And, even though calls, emails, and video calls are useful, sometimes you will need to pop into the office to have a discussion about your case and sign documents.

Similarly, if you have to go to court at any point you’ll be asked to attend your local Magistrates or Crown Court. You’ll save on legal fees if the solicitor is located near to your local court.

Ask about Legal Aid

Legal Aid is often available for criminal cases, but not every firm is able to offer it to you. Only approved suppliers who have been audited by the Legal Aid Agency can act for you under Legal Aid.

This means we can represent you for free, if you meet the means test. The means test considers your income, and involves a merits test, which looks at the allegations you face.

If your income passes a certain threshold, then you may have to contribute to the cost of your case.

At Harewood Law, we are one of the firms that has a Legal Aid contract, and can represent you for free. You can find out more about it here.

Are they giving you value for money?

If you’re not entitled to Legal Aid, then you need to think about which solicitors are the best value for money for you. More experienced solicitors are generally more expensive, because you’re paying more for their expertise.

But if they can offer you a fixed fee, then at least you know you won’t face unlimited costs. At Harewood Law we offer:

·      Fixed fees

·      Hourly rate with an estimate and agreed limit

·      Insurance funding

Those pricing options give our clients an element of certainty when it comes to the cost of defending their case. Have a look at our Explanation of Fees for more information.

Will they be available when you need them?

In criminal cases, things can move quickly and you sometimes need representation at the drop of a hat. The best criminal lawyers will have an emergency number you can call when you need to.

We have an emergency number for after 5pm that you can call for our attendance at a police station. It’s 0333 344 8366.

Have a meeting

Finally, if you get the chance, try to have a meeting with your solicitor before you formally instruct them. You’ll be working closely together and you put a lot of trust in their hands, so it’s worth getting the measure of them at a face to face meeting.

If you’d like to come in for a consultation, please get in touch with us at info@harewooodlaw.com or call us on 0333 344 8377.