Charged with a crime consumer checklist
Checklist for your appointment: Criminal Charge
Before your first appointment
- Find out whether you qualify for legal aid
- If you need to use legal aid, choose a solicitor who will work on this basis
- Find out the cost and time for your first appointment, and ask what you must bring
- Gather together any documents or information that you have about what happened, and what was said during any arrests, interviews or reports relating to this incident and any previous incidents
- If you need support at the meeting, make sure someone can come with you and tell the solicitor in advance who this will be
Possible points to discuss at your first appointment
- What are my options and what will each of these mean for me
- How will the solicitor charge if I don’t get legal aid – could be an hourly rate, fixed fee or other options
- What fee must I pay if the case does not go ahead
- How and when must I pay any fee
- Will I have to pay extra costs such as for reports or specialist advice
- Am I able to discuss my case with anyone else
Expected time-frame
- When will the solicitor start working for me
- When and how will the solicitor next contact me
- How can I contact the solicitor, and what are the best times
- Do I need to attend court, and how much time will I need to do this
- Does the solicitor need anything else from me now
What happens next?
- Contact details for my solicitor and/or their assistant
- Agree with your solicitor when you will get updates on the case and on the costs
- Ask your solicitor to explain what will happen in court
- Ask your solicitor what your options are if you don’t get the outcome you were expecting
Make a note of any other questions or points that you need to remember