Following a charge or summons, the next stage is the hearing at the Magistrates Court. The first appearance at the Magistrates Court is critical as in most cases you are required to enter either a guilty or not guilty plea, this requires a thorough examination of the prosecution case at this early stage.

All matters commence in the Magistrates Court and either remain there or get transferred to the Crown Court.

Both venues have their advantages and disadvantages, our solicitors are on hand to advise you as to the likely venue and any tactical advantages that may arise in deciding to elect for a Crown Court trial.

The decisions made at the first appearance have a major bearing on any potential trials or sentencing.

We advise you to contact our magistrates department at the earliest opportunity. As a result, our solicitors will be afforded the time to request the prosecution case prior to the first appearance and be in a position to examine the evidence and carry out any investigations required on your behalf in advance of the first appearance.

Legal aid is available for matters heard in the magistrate’s court depending on the nature of the offence and the financial means of the accused. We are happy to act on legal aid, however, should legal aid not be available we offer competitive fixed fee agreements for work undertaken by our magistrates court team.