Tag: criminal law

Why instruct a criminal barrister over a solicitor?

If you are facing serious allegations, including those of sexual assault, serious road traffic offences, fraud or other white collar offences, a direct access barrister might be the solution you are looking for. Normally, barristers may only be instructed by solicitors; however, direct access barristers allow you to instruct them directly, saving you time and money whilst obtaining a premium service. But how exactly could a direct access barrister help you? This post looks at some of the ways in which one of our direct access barristers could offer you a superior service to a regular lawyer.

Criminal law expert barristers

Many of our direct access barristers are criminal law and procedure experts. They have worked on some of the most complex criminal cases, and when the going gets tough, they are not afraid to fight for you. Instructing a direct access barrister over a solicitor will generally provide you with access to a professional with more experience in the courtroom and greater understanding of the case law which might help win your case.

Strategy

Criminal barristers will begin working on your case from the outset, aiming to understand as much about the circumstances surrounding the case as possible. Your barrister will then develop a high-level strategy to ensure every avenue is explored, taking advantage of every opportunity to get you the results you need. When it comes to serious criminal cases, drafting an excellent defence statement is crucial. Only a specialised criminal barrister will understand the intricacies involved in ensuring your statement works in your favour.

Insight

As a criminal barrister is specialist and experienced, they will have a full understanding of what is required in the courtroom to win your case. This includes niche case knowledge, specialist evidence requirements, and even how best to present your specific circumstances. This will include making a robust statement of mitigating circumstances and any exceptional hardship you might experience as a result of a custodial sentence.

Why choose a criminal barrister over a criminal lawyer?

Your reputation and your liberty are important to you and your family. It is essential you get the best strategy, advice and representation you can. Amongst our directory of barristers are some the most experienced criminal law case experts, determined to help each and every one of their clients keep their licence. Don’t just instruct any legal professional, get in touch to find out how we can help get you the best.

Getting help from criminal barristers

When you’ve been arrested, it’s essential that you have access to legal help. Depending on the alleged offence, you could be facing a number of serious consequences. Whilst some offences carry the possibility of a prison sentence, you could also be subject to fines, ASBOs or community service.

In addition to this, the consequences of having a criminal record can be catastrophic. You may be unable to keep your current job and may find it extremely difficult to find other work, for example.

Often, when people are charged with a crime, they accept a caution in order to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Whilst this may be a viable solution, it’s important to get expert legal help from criminal barristers first.

Having a caution on your record could have an impact on your future and, with help from experienced direct access barristers, you may be able to avoid this. By seeking legal help, you can ensure that you are able to reduce the charges where possible and minimise the consequences.

Accessing legal representation with public access barristers

Although criminal law is a speciality in itself, barristers do operate in niche areas. If you’ve been charged with a traffic offence, for example, you may want to seek help from speeding barristers or drink drive barristers.

As public access barristers have a whole range of expertise, you’ll be able to find a lawyer who can provide the type of assistance you require. Whilst the matter may be resolved without the need to go to court, a criminal barrister can represent you in court if need be. This means that a public access barrister can deal with matters from start to finish and you won’t have to deal with a range of legal professionals.

What about the cost of using direct access barristers?

Although some people are eligible for Legal Aid in criminal matters, many people exceed the financial threshold and, therefore, must pay for their own legal representation. By working with direct access barristers, you can cut the cost of getting legal help and present an affordable defence.

To learn more now, why not contact our direct access criminal barristers today?

Photo: handcuffs by Keith Allison licensed under Creative commons 2