GRB Solicitors offer a 24 hour call out service to advise new and existing clients of their rights and represent their interests during interviews conducted by police and other investigatory agencies. This service is provided under the remit of non-means tested Legal Aid so therefore in the majority of cases this service is at no expense to our clients irrespective of their financial position. Our contact details are held in the custody suites of local police stations for those clients who have been arrested. Alternatively if you have been invited to attend a police station as a voluntary attender please contact our office on 028 6633 0188 during normal office hours.

GRB Solicitors are a specialist criminal law firm with experience of handling serious and complex cases including the referral of matters of law and procedure to the High Court and Court of Appeal. We represent clients in the Magistrates’ Court, Youth Court, County Court Appeals and Crown Court with our own in house solicitor advocate as well as access to a range of experienced and specialised barristers.

We will advise all clients on the availability of Legal Aid for Court proceedings. Legal Aid is dependent on a number of factors including the seriousness of the offence and the client’s income and means of payment. Where Legal Aid is not available to a client we will provide a clear indication of our professional fees which are competitive and offer excellent value for money for the professional service you will receive.

 

Police Interviews

If you ever find yourself in a police station to be interviewed for a criminal offence then you should always request the assistance of a solicitor. The outcome of a police investigation can have a significant impact on your future and the police interview is only the first stage of what can be a long and complicated process. People often have a misconception as to what occurs in a police station and the involvement of a solicitor so we have set out below 10 reasons why you should always request assistance from GRB Solicitors before you are interviewed by police.

 

  1. Free of charge – Our attendance at the police station is one of the few things in life that is free of charge with no strings attached. All attendances for the purpose of interviews in the police station are covered by legal aid. Even if you own a large property portfolio and are being interviewed for a minor motoring offence you do not have to pay any legal costs for work carried out in the police station.

 

  1. Time – People’s first priority when they are brought into a police custody suite is to get out as quickly as possible. Whilst we will always aim to get you out the front door of the police station as soon as we can, we believe the first priority is to obtain the best outcome for you in your case. We can often be in the local police station in as little as fifteen minutes and during this time you will be going through the booking in procedure with police so there is no time lost by requesting our assistance. Often police will still be carrying out their investigations or preparing for the interview so it is only fair that you should be afforded this time to consult with a solicitor to prepare for your interview.

 

  1. Day or Night – Just because you are arrested at 3am doesn’t mean that we won’t answer the phone. Irrespective of the time of day your interview is still important so don’t worry that you will be waking us up.

 

  1. Advice – Our duty is to advise you as to your rights in the police station and also to help you make the best decisions relating to your case. When you are arrested you may not be entirely focused given your current circumstances and it is important that you obtain our advice to help you see things clearly and focus on your interview.

 

  1. Experience – We have over 10 years’ experience of matters relating to criminal law from minor motoring offences to cases involving murder, complex fraud and sexual offences. Often when we attend with clients in the police station we will have encountered similar cases before and can use our experience to offer you the best advice in relation to your case.

 

  1. Information – In most cases police will provide us with information about your case in advance of your interview. We will then have an opportunity to speak with you about the information disclosed and advise you as to the evidence available to help you make an informed decision as to how you decide to exercise your rights during interview. Without a solicitor present this information may not always be provided and you will be making your decision as to how to proceed not knowing the case against you.

 

  1. Confidential – We are independent of the police. You are our client and our advice and assistance we provide is to help you. Your instructions to us are entirely confidential and will remain so unless you choose to disclose the advice you receive.

 

  1. Important – Not everyone who is interviewed in a police station will be arrested. There are often occasions when police will invite you to attend as a voluntary attendee. Just because you are attending a police station voluntarily does not make your interview any less important. We can make arrangements for your interview to be scheduled at a time suitable to you and us. Although you are not arrested the outcome can be the same as someone who is. If you are invited to attend an interview voluntarily contact us as soon as possible.

 

  1. Court – If your case is prosecuted in Court then the Judge or jury will give careful consideration to the answers you provide during interview or if you have chosen not to answer police questions. We also believe it is important that we are with you every step of the way during the investigation and Court process as this gives us the best opportunity to know every detail about your case.

 

  1. Other Outcomes – Not every case that starts with a police interview will end up in Court. Some cases will go no further due to insufficient evidence and others can be dealt with by way of diversionary disposals. We can make representations to police as to the method by which a case is disposed of which may not always occur if we are not present. We often encounter clients who are either students or in employment and the outcome of a police investigation can have a significant impact on their future career so it is important that all options are put forward as to how your case is dealt with.

 

We can be contacted on 028 6633 0188 should you require assistance during a police interview. Don’t worry if you don’t have our telephone number with you when you are arrested as our contact details are held in all local police stations.

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