Representation at the station, before the interview begins.
Police station support at any hour, before the interview begins. If you need legal support, call 07922 247 999 now.
Call for 24/7 police station representation now
If someone you know is in custody
Find out which police station they are being held at, and ask the custody desk for the custody reference number. Then call 07922 247 999 with those details. The suspect can ask for the interview to be held until a representative is present, and it is worth doing so.
If you do not have the station or the reference number, call anyway. Astons Law Chambers can help work out where they are being held.
What police station support covers
Support begins with disclosure of the allegation from the officer in the case, before any decision is taken on what to say. It includes a private consultation with the suspect about what to say, what not to say, and why, and representation during the interview itself, including advice to stay silent where that is the right course.
After the interview it covers representations on bail to the custody officer and advice on what is likely to happen next.
Police station support can be instructed direct.
Astons Law Chambers is authorised under the Bar Standards Board's Public Access scheme. A solicitor is not required for police station representation.
How Direct Access works →Common questions
- How quickly can support be arranged?
- Support is arranged on the call. How soon someone can be at the station depends on where it is; in the meantime the suspect can ask for the interview to be held until a representative is there.
- Is the suspect entitled to a lawyer?
- Yes. Anyone held at a police station is entitled to free legal advice and to have a representative present at interview. They do not have to accept the duty solicitor.
- What does private representation cost?
- A single written fee is set out in a client-care letter before any work begins. Indicative ranges are on the Fees page.
- Is legal aid available at the police station?
- Yes — and it is free at the police station, regardless of income. Private instruction is the choice clients make when they want a specific representative rather than the duty solicitor. See how legal aid works at Astons Law Chambers for the wider case.
- Can the same barrister carry the case after the police station?
- Yes, where the case suits a single counsel. Astons Law Chambers is authorised to conduct litigation, so the practice can run the file end-to-end without a separate solicitor.
Related areas