At The Police Station

If you’re at a police station right now, or expecting to be taken to one at any moment, you need our help urgently – and more than you may realise.

Already at the police station? First, tell the police you want Walker Lahive to represent you. They will request our attendance and we’ll be there for you within 45 minutes from then. It won’t cost you a penny.

And if you’ve been asked to go to a police station at a later date or as a ‘voluntary attender,’ call us on 01752 551 722 and ask us to represent you.

Because however confident you may be feeling, it’s never a sensible idea to represent yourself. And you don’t have to settle for the Duty Solicitor.

Whether you’re on benefits or a billionaire, you’re entitled to free legal aid at the police station. And you’ll be getting the best advice there is from our specialist lawyers with their years of experience and professional expertise.

It’s easy to get flustered and make bad choices if you suddenly find yourself in a police station; you could implicate yourself or others in further crimes, or get yourself into trouble when you had a valid reason to defend yourself.  So getting proper legal advice as soon as possible could make a dramatic difference to the rest of your life.

Being arrested and questioned is stressful and disorientating (trust us on this one) but you’re not the best person to decide whether you need a lawyer or not. We are.

We see so many people who thought they’d manage on their own just so they could get out of the police station sooner, or thought they had nothing to worry about, only to find themselves being charged with something they didn’t do, or inadvertently implicating themselves in other crimes.

Or they refused to answer questions for the wrong reasons, only to find it went against them in court, leading to a tougher sentence than they would have received if we’d been advising them.

And even if you think you’re guilty, the difference between very similar-sounding offences can be the difference between prison or liberty when it gets to court. Do you know which is which? And do you really think the police are going to give you impartial legal advice?

If you’ve even the slightest doubt about whether you need to use your one call from the police station to contact a solicitor or not, just take a look at the questions and answers below – all typical of the questions people ask us.

Q: Do I really need a solicitor?

A: Yes. We know police procedures and powers, the charges they could bring, how long they can detain you, what rights you have while you’re being held, and a hundred other things that could be to your advantage.  The police are trained in interview techniques, but you’re not. Get yourself in a muddle or answer questions you didn’t have to, and you can quickly find yourself out of your depth.

Q: Do I have to go with the Duty Solicitor the police have offered me?

A: No, you don’t. Some Duty Solicitors are very competent, but some aren’t quite as good. Can you tell which is which? Our advice is to ask for Walker Lahive, and we’ll send you a highly-professional, fully-qualified representative with years of experience of dealing with people in police stations.

Q: Can I afford it?

A: Yes. All legal costs for police station advice are automatically covered by Legal Aid, no matter what the crime, no matter how much you earn. So you don’t have to pay a penny for prompt and professional legal advice from our experienced specialists.

Q: I just want to get out of here quickly but the police say it’ll take a while for you to get here. I could be home by the time you arrive.

A: Or you could find yourself being held for far longer than you’d bargained for! We’re ready to visit the police station 24 hours a day, every day. And we’re available right now. We can give you immediate advice over the phone and be at the police station within 45 minutes – and you could be risking a lot more than a 45-minute wait by not asking for our free legal advice. If you ask us to be there for you, we can advise you throughout the interview on the questions you don’t have to answer, and that could prevent a disaster that could haunt you for the rest of your life. Apart from that, we may get you out a lot quicker than you think.

Q: But I haven’t done anything wrong.

A: The police think you have or you wouldn’t be there. The law can be complex and, even if you think you haven’t done anything wrong, you may have broken the law. One of our highly-experienced criminal defence solicitors will be able to tell you exactly where you stand.

Q: I didn’t know I could have a solicitor.

A: You can. It’s your legal right to consult a solicitor at any time. And even if you don’t want advice now, you can change your mind later and ask for a solicitor then.

Q: But I want to admit what I’ve done.

A: That’s fine… but do you know what you’re actually admitting to? The law is extremely complicated, and you may have a good, convincing defence even though you think you’ve done something wrong. It’s easy to admit to something more serious than you actually did, and the consequences of a conviction for a more serious offence can be life-changing. You may be eligible for a caution or warning, or you may need a solicitor to help you get bail if you’re charged with an offence. Ask us. We know.

Q: I’ll just say “No comment”, then.

A: If you don’t answer police questions you could make it harder to fight your case in court. And you might affect your chances of a reduced sentence for an early indication of guilt. It’s a difficult decision whether to answer questions or not – and that’s why you need a solicitor.

Q: But it’s only street bail / I’m only a voluntary attender.

A: Even more reason to ask for us, as you’ll be interviewed under caution by the police and there’s every chance you’ll end up in court facing a criminal prosecution. Your rights are the same even if you haven’t been arrested.

Read enough? Then ask for Walker Lahive when you get the police station – and call us 01752 551 722 if you have an interview coming up.

Because while getting out of the police station is an understandable short-term aim, what you say or do there can have a serious, life-long effect on your future, your prospects and your freedom.

We’ve spent 30 years giving people advice on:

• Police powers of arrest.
• Non-police powers – cases in which you’re wanted for questioning by HM Revenue and Customs, the     Serious Fraud Office, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Department of Trade and Industry, or   any other investigative agency
• Representation when in custody or being interviewed.
• Police powers of stop and search, seizure and detention.
• What to do when a relative or friend is in custody.

We’re proud of our reputation as the busiest criminal defence practice in the West Country. And all our expertise, all our advice, all our experience, is just a phone call away .. 01752 551 722