Contact pathways

Getting in touch

We are not the police — we are criminal defence solicitors. We are criminal defence solicitors — not Kent Police. For police use 999 or 101. Choose your situation below before any form or call-back path.

Scope and FAQ: what we can and cannot help with.

What is your situation?

Choose one option before we can help. This stops police-style enquiries reaching the wrong place.

Public & family

Members of the public or immediate family: use voluntary interview (booked VAI) or current custody. Friends/colleagues cannot instruct for someone else.

Solicitors & firms

Instructing solicitors and defence firms: use the solicitor cover pathway (or the agency page). Do not use the public custody form for firm instructions.

What to expect: custody and booked-interview pathways — we aim to respond promptly during working hours when we can help. Solicitor cover — the agency page / firm WhatsApp is usually fastest. Non-urgent written enquiries — we aim to reply within 1–2 working days. Response times are not guaranteed.

Why isn’t your phone number on every page?

We’re Robert Cashman’s police-station defence practice (through Tuckers Solicitors LLP) — not Kent Police. We know a phone number feels simplest, and we do take urgent calls when someone is in custody or has a booked interview. We don’t publish that number on every page because search traffic often mistakes us for the police, and the line isn’t a free general advice service after release.

We’re independent criminal solicitors, not the police. A number on every blog and station page draws 101-style calls and “free advice after release” enquiries we can’t help with, which delays people in live custody or with a booked interview. Use the Contact pathways that match your situation, or the non-urgent written enquiry on the Contact page for administrative messages. For police help use 999 or 101.

Non-urgent written enquiry (defence clients & firms only)

Use this form for non-urgent written messages from prospective clients or instructing solicitors only. It is not an emergency channel, not a police or custody contact form, and not a free general legal advice service. Police officers and OICs must use 101 or force systems — we cannot supply custody suite numbers or FP/DNA chase contacts. Response times are not guaranteed.

Use the situation picker above first. This written form is only for defence clients and instructing solicitors with a non-urgent administrative message — not for crime reports or police switchboard enquiries.

What this form can help with

  • Non-urgent questions about instructing us for police-station defence work in Kent
  • Administrative messages (e.g. referring a matter, confirming you’ve already instructed us)
  • Clarifying whether your situation is something we cover as defence solicitors
  • Solicitor/firm messages about agency cover (the agency pathway is usually faster)

What we cannot do

  • Act as Kent Police or any force, take crime reports, or transfer calls to custody or switchboard
  • Provide custody suite telephone numbers, emails, or FP/DNA chase contacts for police/OICs
  • Confirm whether someone is in custody, find a missing person, or give welfare updates without being instructed as their solicitor
  • Provide free advice after release, after a past interview, or general case updates
  • Accept instructions from friends or colleagues for someone else (immediate family only; detainee must confirm)
  • Treat past arrests or “already released” matters as urgent police-station attendance
  • Replace 999 or 101

Non-urgent written enquiry — defence clients & firms only

We are not the police — we are criminal defence solicitors.

Immediate custody & booked VAI only — immediate family may instruct; not past arrests, post-release free advice, or general advice.

We are NOT the police and cannot help with police enquiries, crime reports, custody suite contact details, FP/DNA chase requests, custody status checks, or free advice after release. For police assistance use 999 or 101.

Someone in custody now? Use the current custody check. Booked interview? Request representation. Do not use this form for urgent custody.

First — are you reporting a crime or looking for a police number?

If yes, use official police contacts. This website cannot help with those enquiries.

Who provides the legal service

If you contact us via this website, you are contacting Robert Cashman in his capacity as a solicitor at Tuckers Solicitors LLP (SRA ID: 127795). Any Legal Aid or private retainer is with Tuckers Solicitors LLP. This website is operated by Defence Legal Services Ltd t/a Police Station Agent and provides general information; it does not itself provide legal services.

We are NOT Kent Police or any police force. Instructions are accepted for people in police custody and scheduled voluntary (VAI) interviews at Kent stations — not general legal advice by telephone, and not free advice after release or after a past interview.