https://www.pdso.org.uk/need-legal-help/
https://www.pdso.org.uk/need-legal-help/
We can help you if you have been charged with a criminal offence or if you are in trouble with the police.
We can represent you if you are eligible for criminal legal aid. We will help you apply for this.
Most people in full time employment are eligible.
Contact us to find out if you can get legal aid for your case.
We will give you legal advice in a way that you can understand.
Throughout your case your lawyer will:
We’ll be with you at court, to represent you, speak up for you and fight for the best outcome for you.
We’ll fight for you whether you have been charged with a minor crime or a very serious offence because we understand that your case is serious to you and your family.
We can provide you with expert legal advice in relation to any criminal matter in Scotland.
There are a number of situations in which you may need our help.
Contact one of our offices and let us start helping you now.
You need to challenge any of these within strict time limits. Otherwise it will be considered that you have accepted them.
If they are not paid, enforcement officers will have the power to recover the amount of the fine from you.
You may be offered the chance to do unpaid work in the community as an alternative to prosecution.
If you do not accept this you will be taken to court for the charge. We can also advise you on what this will mean.
You should ask the police to tell us that you want our help and we will be there to fight for you. Getting legal advice and having a lawyer with you could mean the difference between being charged with a crime and being released.
You have the legal right to have a lawyer told that you are in the police station and that you want their help to receive legal advice BEFORE you are questioned.
You also have the right for a lawyer to be present during any police interview. It is very important that you take up these rights as this police questioning is a vital part of the case.
Do not be persuaded not to take up this legal right. We can give legal advice straight away over the telephone and there is a dedicated 24-hour service that can give that advice.
Make sure you insist a lawyer is present at your interview if you have been arrested for a serious matter or you are worried about what is going to happen.
We have solicitors on call 24-hours a day across Scotland to help you. We are very experienced at successfully defending serious charges.
You should call us immediately if you have been charged by the police.
One of our solicitors can give you expert advice about the charges and what will happen next.
We can also start preparing your defence straight away to secure vital evidence for you.
Call us straight away so we can begin your defence and take your instructions.
We will appoint you a solicitor. They will be there to represent you when your return to court to face the charge(s) from the police.
This is the most common way in which criminal court cases start.
The citation will have a court date and the charges against you.
Call us to get advice and arrange representation. By instructing us in advance you may not need to attend court personally.
We can deal with your case from the very beginning through to an appeal if that is appropriate.
Both convictions and sentences can be appealed and there is legal aid available for this.
Even if we have not dealt with your case before, you can call us now to discuss if you can appeal.
