Probably the biggest cause of complaints made by members of the public against solicitors is in relation to fees. Far too often at the end of a case a client receives a bill, which is much higher than they had expected or budgeted for, or a bill that contains ‘hidden extras’ which had not been properly explained at the outset.
At McMillans we can guarantee that you will never be surprised as to the level of your final bill and we believe that we have the most straightforward, transparent and value for money fee structure out there, amongst not only criminal lawyers but solicitors in general!
We only conduct cases on a fixed private fee basis. What that means in practice is that if you call us we will immediately give you a fixed price up to and including the matter being concluded at the police station or up to and including your first appearance at court.
If your case then requires further court appearances (for example if you dispute the allegations and therefore plead not guilty at your initial hearing your case will need to be adjourned for a trial either at the magistrate’s court or Crown Court) we will give you additional fixed fee offers for the remaining stages of your case. For a Crown Court trial those stages are as follows:
- Stage 2 from being charged to initial appearance at the magistrate’s court including representing you at that hearing
- Stage 3 from magistrate’s court hearing to first appearance at Crown Court (Plea and Trial Preparation Hearing (PTPH)) including you be represented by solicitor and counsel at that hearing
- Stage 4 from the date of the PTPH until trial including you being represented by solicitor and counsel at your trial
The level of these further fixed fees fees depends on the complexity and seriousness of the case, the number of likely court appearances and the volume of the evidence.You may be surprised to learn that for cases before the magistrates court if you are found not guilty or the case against you is discontinued it is almost certain that a defence costs order will be made in your favour meaning that some or all of your defence costs will be returned to you.
It is the case that for the more serious sexual criminal offences free advice and representation may be available under the governments legal aid scheme in relation to representation at court. It is also the case that anybody detained at the police station is entitled to speak to the police station duty solicitor free of charge under legal aid.
McMillans Solicitors do not represent clients under this scheme because we genuinely believe it is not possible to provide the very highest quality service, where no stone is left unturned in the preparation of your defence, under legal aid.
Please do not hesitate to call us 24 hours a day 7 days a week to discuss your situation. Initial telephone advice is free and completely confidential.
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