Brown Turner Ross

Legal Aid

Legal Aid is available to cover your costs of

• providing advice and representation at a Police Station
• and may be available to cover your costs of providing advice and representation at the Magistrates Court subject to your financial position and your Case being regarded by the Court as being serious enough for the grant of Legal Aid
• representation before the Crown Court without the need for your finances to be assessed, although the Court may make an Order under the Recovery of Defence Costs Orders where a Guilty plea or conviction results. In the Crown Court, most cases are considered sufficiently serious to merit the grant of Legal Aid

You will get comprehensive advice on

• all aspects of funding your representation
• the completion of Legal Aid Applications
• dealing with Appeals against a decision to refuse the grant of Legal Aid
• the likelihood of the grant of Legal Aid and any cost implications as to recovery of Defence Costs Orders

If you are ineligible for Legal Aid we will provide a quotation for the cost of representation on a private fee paying basis.

Private Costs

You may choose to pay privately for your representation – it is entirely a matter for you but bear in mind that legal Aid will not, in any evet, be available for a great number of Cases – establishing that for you will be one of the first things we do for you.

If you wish to instruct us on a private fee paying basis you will

• receive an estimate of costs, including our charge-out rates
• receive up-dated estimates of costs at agreed time intervals
• be asked to provide payments on account which we will hold in our Client Account until we prepare an Interim or Final Bill

You will receive clear and transparent details of all costs you are likely to be liable for and no expense will be incurred without your prior knowledge and approval, including the cost of instructing Counsel, any necessary Expert witnesses or any other expenditure.

Our promise is to give you a cost effective service as efficiently as we can minimising the cost to you while maximising the benefit to you!