When instructed we offer a Fixed Fee (limited retainer and non-returnable) for preparation and attendances in connection with your case. We prefer not to charge our clients by the hour or by item. The fixed fee means that you do not have to worry about hourly rates and escalating costs. Our fixed fee covers all reasonable preparation as deemed necessary and does not include any further work or attendances beyond the specified period. Each Fixed Fee agreement is tailored specifically to the client’s needs and agreed before work begins.
Falsely Accused Ltd options might include:
- Our proven ability to represent defendants and appellants anywhere in England and Wales.
- Our expert investigators on false sexual allegations.
- Video conferencing, Skype and FT calls facilities available.
- Frequent email communications. We have good, fast mobile internet links.
- Private meetings at various venues throughout England & Wales to suit our clients. Especially at our London address facility near the Royal Courts of Justice.
- Advocacy by our vastly experienced representatives.
Falsely Accused Ltd was founded on the principles of treating its Clients fairly, we are committed to always putting Clients at the forefront of every decision, and our integrity is to provide the minimum inconvenience to those Clients. We have developed Private Fee Options against the backdrop of Legal Aid cutbacks. The result of this is that public funds are no longer available for the preparation and sustained representation that we believe is essential. Private Fee Options is a (non-returnable) fixed fee limited retainer that covers the work we will undertake. The fixed fee means that you do not have to worry about hourly rates and escalating costs.
Private Fee Options includes all advice and assistance that we deem necessary over the relevant period.
Advancing and protecting your interests: Our team are adept at liaising with solicitors and or barristers, making representations to the them and checking on the progress of your case.
Personal communications: This may be face to face, over the phone, Skype, FT or via email as is currently preferred by most of our clients. This may involve answering any questions you may have about legal, factual issues or procedures. Venues are available at our Central London office facility.
Each Private Fee Option package is tailored specifically to the client’s needs and agreed before work begins. We can be pro-active and plan the necessary preparation in order to obtain long-term benefits for our clients.
Many accused people believe their case will be resolved quickly. Some are not concerned because they know they are innocent and have done nothing wrong.
Some think justice will honestly prevail. Some want to wait and see if the expenditure is really necessary. Many find that the cost of attempting to deal with a false allegation or reversing a conviction not worth it but it can be far more costly than if they had done things correctly the first time. Some are in a panic, not thinking rationally and grasping at straws.
Many of these people are simply incapable of making a decision that is really in their overall best interest. Most have no idea what is ahead of them, nor the work that will be involved. Most have no idea what it takes to prepare a proper defense. Some do not take the allegations against them seriously until they are convicted.
Very few people have the necessary funds to properly defend against these types of serious false allegations, so, for all practical purposes, there is not such a thorough investigation, or expert examinations and the Barrister(s) and/or Solicitor(s) chosen are normally legally aided. It’s almost always the case that privately funded criminal solicitors; barristers and experts have better success rates in defending clients against serious criminal charges rather than those choosing to have legal aid.
We are acutely aware that there exists a two-tier justice system. Those who can afford it, and those who cannot, we did not implement it and make no apology for this two-tier system. Therefore, we must stress we do not believe that it is always possible to work at the highest level within the constraints of public funding (legal aid), a solicitor will discuss the funding options at the start of any new matter and they should always be totally up front and transparent.
Legal Aid has become a much talked about and much debated phrase in recent years and the government has announced major changes to the system of legal aid in England and Wales. Now everyone is “means tested”, this of course will have a drastic effect on the way people are represented.
Of course the funding of any case is obviously crucially important therefore the client must understand what they are getting into should they decide to instruct a solicitor on a private basis. This would be a long-term commitment by you and of course by your legal team. Cases can last anywhere between a year and four years and sometimes even longer.
Private work can be carried out at an agreed fixed fee with your solicitor for a specific stage of the proceedings. This has the advantage of quantifying the exact cost a case for any given stage or your solicitor can agree a total fee until completion of the case. As the potential client can appreciate, fees are based on your legal teams experience, time and on numerous avenues that may be available to the legal team whilst an investigation and preparation of the case is taking place.
Solicitors start by recording all the time spent on a matter in minimum units of 6 minutes per item of work. Charges are calculated mainly by reference to the time spent in dealing with the case and investigation and of course the legal teams previous experience of these complex cases. This includes advising and attending the Client/Defendant/Appellant and others, dealing with papers, correspondence, telephone calls, statement taking, travelling, waiting time and anytime spent attending Solicitors, Counsel and others as necessary. The charge rate also does not include other expenses (for example: transcripts) and disbursements such as travel abroad, etc. The above is not an exhaustive list and there are numerous other matters, which, from time to time, need to be attended to. Your solicitor will then have to consider what profit is appropriate having calculated what time will be spent on the matter and cost in salaries and overheads to arrive at a figure that is “fair and reasonable”.
You’ll also have to pay Value Added Tax (or ‘VAT’) on top of your legal fees. The amount of VAT you have to pay is set by the government and is a form of tax.
We will only take instructions from a solicitor or barrister. It takes time for us to schedule work, make necessary arrangements and prepare a client file. It would not be practical for us to attempt and fill that time slot with another case. Time & proven experience is our only tangible asset. It is our standard policy to charge a solicitor for all time we spend including, but not limited to, consultations (other than the 1st free one hour consultation), reading and responding to emails, sent and received letters and all telephone calls, travel etc.
Investigative fees are normally insignificant compared to the overall cost of a total defence for someone falsely accused or wrongly convicted. At the very least, a defence team will possibly include a Queens Counsel (QC), and or Barrister, Solicitor, Investigators, support staff and various experts. Someone falsely accused may be told that they do not require an elaborate defence, or if appealing a conviction they are often told “We’ll go with what we have” but common sense dictates the opposite. Serious offences of a false allegation such as rape allegations are cases where the accused without question, must prove their innocence beyond any reasonable doubt. Unless they are successful, a Prosecutor will prosecute, a jury will convict and a lengthy prison term is inevitable. There is far more involvement to a defence than simply preparation whether it be for a trial or appeal. Considering the cost of the trial or appeal alone does not just consist of being in the courtroom.