Do you represent people at court?

The short answer

Court work doesn't pay well under legal aid, so I tend to cover court when others don't: weekends, bank holidays and Christmas.

I don't usually cover court during the week. In my view, about £100 isn't fair pay for a day's work. That's my own view of what a day's work is worth, not a table of official court fees.

The work I choose

I am in the fortunate position that I can now choose the work I enjoy, which is mainly police station work and voluntary interviews.

I have over 30 years in criminal law, and I've been a solicitor since 2001. I worked day to day in the magistrates' court for 16 years and in the Crown Court for 5 years. I still have higher rights of audience as a Higher Court Advocate, and I use them when that's appropriate.

Police station advice is still the core of this site. If you or someone close to you is held at a station, or invited to a voluntary interview, that is the work I want to do.

I am still a court duty solicitor

I'm still a court duty solicitor, and I do far more than the minimum number of court hearings needed to qualify.

I train often to keep up with the law and practice, and I also train others privately through Superprof.

What this means if you are my client

Advice at the police station is free under legal aid and isn't means-tested. That isn't the same as a free lawyer at court. Court legal aid is separate: it's means-tested in the magistrates' court, and it isn't automatic.

If you're charged after I've advised you at the police station, your case will generally go to Tuckers Solicitors LLP. If I'm not covering your hearing, I can still explain what happens next and help arrange or recommend representation. The solicitor who helped at the station isn't always the advocate who stands up in court the next day. That's not a failing; it's how the work is split.

If you'd like me to represent you at court privately, ask me. I take private court cases when they're financially worthwhile, and I use my higher rights of audience where that fits the case.

Weekends, bank holidays and Christmas

Courts still sit when most people would rather be at home. That's when I tend to cover court: weekends, bank holidays and Christmas, when it's harder to find someone else.

If your hearing falls on one of those days, ask. If it's a weekday legal aid hearing, I'll usually point you to someone else rather than pretend I can be in two places.

How to ask

Use the contact pathways on this site. Tell me the court, the date if you have it, and whether it's a legal aid case or a private enquiry. Don't send me your case story in an open message.

Frequently asked questions