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CRIMINAL DEFENCE

Criminal defence solicitors in Derby

Our criminal defence team

Simon Stevens

Simon is a Partner and Head of the Criminal Defence department. He is a Solicitor, admitted 12/01/2005. SRA-approved manager. SRA Higher Courts Rights (Criminal) 30/9/2013.



He is an accredited member of the Law Society's Criminal Litigation Panel. He advises at the police station and he appears both in the Magistrates' and Crown Court.


sws@ewlaw.co.uk

He is assisted by:

Sonia Lawrence


Sonia is a Partner and  SRA-approved manager.  She is a Solicitor, admitted 1/03/00.

She an accredited member of the Law Society's Criminal Litigation Panel.

She advises at the Police Station and regularly  appears at the  Magistrates' Court.

sbl@ewlaw.co.uk

Paul Rowe

- Accredited Police Station Representative and Crown Court Clerk

pr@ewlaw.co.uk

Carolina Monteiro

- Paralegal

csm@ewlaw.co.uk

Chelsea-Anne Richter

- Secretary

car@ewlaw.co.uk

24-hour police station service

If you find yourself in trouble with the law outside office hours, call our emergency number on 07831 442 334 for assistance from one of our accredited police station representatives. This service is primarily aimed at those who have been arrested by the police.

The team at Eddowes Waldron Solicitors will represent you with professionalism and provide specialist advice and criminal defence when necessary. From road traffic cases to the most serious matters in both the Magistrates' and Crown Courts, we're here when you need us most!

Defence Advocacy Services

Summary Only (Magistrates Court) Motoring Offences

Our charges:


Our overall fees vary depending upon how complex your case is and what you would like us to do. For a free quote specifically tailored to your circumstances please email info@ewlaw.co.uk or call 01332348484. We would be more than happy to discuss your case.

 

To give you an idea of how we charge however, and to comply with the SRA price transparency rules, we have set out below details of our typical charges.

 

Our charges are made up of:

 

a)    our fees for the legal work; and

b)    ‘disbursements’ - disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to other people, such as fees for bailiffs. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

 

Where VAT is referred to below please note that this will be charged at the applicable rate, which is currently 20%.


Our fees

 

Our fees will either be agreed with you as a fixed sum at the start of your case or based on how much time it takes to deal with your case.

Hourly rate work

If we charge you based on an hourly rate, please note that our standard hourly rates are £250 plus VAT at 20%  for Simon Stevens or Sonia Lawrence and £150 plus VAT at 20% for  Paul Rowe and Carolina Monteiro.


Fixed fee work


Ordinarily however, we charge for summary only motoring offences on a fixed fee basis. In terms of fixed fees, we can normally offer these in simple cases involving the following motoring offences where you plead guilty:

 

·      drink driving: speeding: using a mobile phone while driving: £350 plus VAT at 20%

   

Our fixed fees above do not include additional costs such as mileage/parking, at some Courts and disbursements (such as expert’s reports if needed). Mileage to and from Court where necessary is charged at £0.45 per mile + VAT at 20%

 

Legal aid is not normally available for these types of cases and so clients typically pay these fees themselves. If you are likely to be eligible for legal aid funding we shall guide you accordingly.

 

Our fixed fee includes:

 

·      Up to 2 hours of support to you including:

o  Discussing what happened with you;

o  Reviewing the evidence in the case;

o  Giving you advice on the possible outcomes in your case;

o  Giving you advice on how to best mitigate your circumstances;

Attending and representing you at one hearing at Derby Magistrates Court. This would be one of our staff members – not by an external barrister, sometimes known as ‘Counsel’.

 

It won’t always be possible to help people in drink driving cases for this fee as some cases are more complicated. For example, this fee does not include additional work which might be needed in more complicated or contested cases such as:

 

·      The cost of instructing an expert witness;

·      Taking statements from witnesses;

·      Advising on or assisting with a ‘special reasons’ hearing;

·      Advising or assisting with any appeal.


If you contact us we can you give you a quote for your particular case.


Other costs to consider


The costs set out above do not include:

 

·      any fines or costs you become liable for as a result of the offence committed;

·      appeal costs;

·      the cost of taking witness statements, which are charged at an additional £70 + VAT at 20% ;

·      obtaining expert witness evidence if required.

 

 Key stages of your case


The fee above is intended to cover all of the key stages of a summary motoring offence case:

  • Meeting with your and finding out what happened;
  • Advice on your case;
  • Considering initial disclosure and evidence in your case;
  • If necessary, taking witness statements (which carry an additional cost of £70 + VAT at 20%)
  • Explaining the procedure and next steps to you;
  • Attending Court with you (up to 3 hours);
  • Helping you understand the outcome of the case and your options for appeal if appropriate (appeal costs are separate).

It would not normally be necessary to undertake other work or incur costs other than those described above. However, we would be very happy to provide you with a more tailored quote for all stages of your particular case once we know about your specific circumstances.


How long will my case take?


Generally speaking cases of this nature are not made up of a lot of different stages and are concluded on the day of your Magistrates Court hearing. The Magistrates Court date is normally set by the Police after your arrest or in the Court summons so hopefully you are aware of when your case will be concluded. If we are working together and you are not sure of your Court date please just ask us and we would be very happy to confirm.


Who will be dealing with my case?

 

Your case will be handled by a trusted member of our experienced team We have a number of qualified lawyers in the team as well as experienced paralegals specialised in this area of law. Once we know who will be handling your case for you we will introduce you to them and provide you with full details of their background and qualifications. Full details of the experience and qualifications of our team are available on our website www.ewlaw.co.uk including the types of work normally undertaken. 

 

Regardless of who is working on your case the matter will be supervised by one of our partners:

 

Simon Stevens is a Partner and Head of the Criminal Defence department. He is a Solicitor, admitted 12/01/2005. SRA-approved manager. SRA Higher Courts Rights (Criminal) 30/9/2013.

He is an accredited member of the Law Society's Criminal Litigation Panel. He advises at the police station and he appears both in the Magistrates' and Crown Court.

 

 

Sonia Lawrence is a Partner and SRA-approved manager. She is a Solicitor, admitted 1/03/00.

She an accredited member of the Law Society's Criminal Litigation Panel.

She advises at the Police Station and regularly appears at the Magistrates' Court




Police investigation

If you are under investigation, it is crucial that you receive the correct advice and assistance from a professional. Effective pre-charge advice and representation makes a real different. In practice, access to an expert opinion and quality written representations can often lead to informal disposal or a decision to take no action at all. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with our criminal defence team if you are in need.

Arrest and investigation fact sheet

Serious crime

Serious crime involves substantial volumes of evidence, multiple accused persons and a vast quantity of information and data. The criminal defence team at Eddowes Waldron Solicitors in Derby have extensive experience defending serious crime and complex cases. The prosecution may rely on video and audio surveillance, electronic data, mobile phone information and forensic analysis to prove their case. Our solicitors and barristers have a vast understanding of technical evidence and we use nationally renowned experts who can achieve the best results for you. We can uncover any evidence that could be critical to your case and can make the different in securing a not guilty verdict.

We have acted in a number of high profile, significant cases including:

  • Murder / manslaughter
  • Death by careless or dangerous driving
  • Manufacture, supply, cultivation or import of drugs
  • Human trafficking
  • Armed robbery
  • Blackmail
  • Theft
  • Rape and sexual offences


We appreciate that choosing the correct solicitor is of critical importance and therefore offer a no obligation private consultation to provide initial advice.

Expert criminal defence specialists

Call Eddowes Waldron Solicitors to book a consultation on

01332 348484

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