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Criminal Law Solicitors

By your side, defending your rights

If you or someone you know has been arrested, is under investigation or is being prosecuted for a criminal offence, you need the advice and support of someone you can trust.

We are one of the oldest and most experienced criminal defence solicitors in the North West of England. We serve clients in criminal law across the region and nationally from our office network in Liverpool, Runcorn and Warrington.

You have important legal rights, no matter how serious the offence you have been accused of is. We know just how stressful and frightening it can be to be faced with criminal charges or prosecution. Your liberty, reputation, job and relationships with family, friends and colleagues could all be at stake.

Our job is to help you find the most positive solution to the hardest challenges a person can go through.

And we’re very good at it.

Established in 1821, our team of expert criminal defence solicitors have a combined experience of over 200 years.

We are ranked in the top 10 of criminal defence firms nationally based on client feedback at Review Solicitors, the independent solicitor's review platform. We are also in the top 20% of criminal legal advisors by volume in England and Wales.

We can assist with all criminal defence matters, including:

There are many ways we help our clients, including:

Advising you at the police station if you have been arrested or invited for a voluntary interview under caution
Supporting and representing you during criminal investigations
Defending you at court, including the Magistrates Court, Crown Court and appeal courts

With our assistance, many of the people we help:

Avoid criminal charges altogether
Achieve a ‘not guilty’ verdict at court
Receive a reduced or less serious sentence or charge than they originally faced

We accept Criminal Legal Aid as well as offer a range of flexible and affordable fees.

Get in touch with our criminal law solicitors

If you or someone you know needs fast, expert criminal law advice and defence at the police station, during an investigation or at court, get in touch with our criminal defence solicitors in Liverpool, Runcorn or Warrington.

For urgent out of hours matters call FREEPHONE 0808 196 1790

Call 03444 124348 | Ask us a Question

We regularly travel across the country to assist people at the police station or at court. Our lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Our police station representation service is free of charge. It is your legal right to have representation at the police station.

We highly recommend that you do not answer the police’s questions about an alleged offence until we are by your side to advise you. Anything you say during a police interview could be used in a decision to charge you or as evidence in court.

This includes if you have been invited for a voluntary interview under caution – these interviews are not casual chats. Instead, ask to call Bell Lamb & Joynson as soon as possible.

How our criminal defence solicitors can help you

Our established and experienced team of criminal defence solicitors can help defend any criminal matter from simple shoplifting or routine Public Order cases to serious allegations of murder, rape and robbery.

We have particular expertise in large scale drug conspiracies, regularly representing defendants nationwide.

We are also members of the Serious Fraud Panel and can deal with serious fraud cases and other cases that are considered as VHCC (Very High-Cost Cases).

If you need assistance with a criminal law matter you can be confident that we have the expertise and the experience to assist. Don’t just take our word for it – take a look at our independently verified reviews.

Police station representation

We provide specialist 24 hour police station representation FREE OF CHARGE to anyone arrested at any police station in England and Wales 365 days a year.

Being arrested or asked to attend a police station for interview is not only a stressful ordeal but is often the most important part of any criminal prosecution. Anything you say to the police may be a key in terms of a ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ verdict.

Our team includes specially trained police station representatives who can be with you within 45 minutes and usually considerably less.

Once a request for a solicitor has been made we will ensure that the police or investigative authority acts take all possible steps to speed up the investigation process.

It is not true that it will extend the period of detention if you ask for a solicitor at the police station. In fact, asking for a solicitor at the police station could not only save you a criminal conviction at court, but also shorten your period of detention at the police station.

Our police station representative service is FREE OF CHARGE.

JUST ASK THE POLICE TO CONTACT BELL LAMB & JOYNSON SOLICITORS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

24 Hour FREEPHONE Emergency Criminal department Help Line – 0808 196 1790.

Criminal investigations advice

We can provide practical advice and emotional support during criminal investigations as well as working tirelessly to reduce the risk of criminal prosecution.

Being under criminal investigation can be just as scary as being held at the police station. Although you are not in police custody, you may have previously been arrested and released. You also have the fear and uncertainty of being charged with a criminal offence hanging over your head.

Although it is completely normal to feel anxious, you don’t have to give in and wait for the police or prosecuting authority to make their decision.

We can take all possible steps to speed up the investigation process (which can sometimes take months or even years, especially if the police are left to work at their own pace) and make representations on your behalf.

If you have been released under investigation and the police get in touch with you again, it is important to contact us as soon as possible for advice. Do not answer questions until we have advised you or investigated the police’s reasons for contacting you further.

Fees for criminal investigations advice

Unfortunately, Legal Aid is unlikely to cover the costs of legal advice during the investigation stage (unless you are arrested, invited to the police station for a voluntary interview under caution or charged with a criminal offence).

We can provide further information about potential fees and give you a detailed quote for providing you with legal representation so you will know what to expect in terms of costs.

Defence at court

If you require representation in court, including urgent court defence, please contact us as soon as possible and we can spring to your side.

On a daily basis, our specialist and highly respected team of criminal advocates appear in the Magistrates and Crown Courts across Merseyside and Cheshire (and any other Court in England and Wales as and when required) providing quality presentation of your case. We deal with all types of criminal law cases.

We have five Higher Court Advocates who are able to undertake all types of work in the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal.

We are able to manage your case from start to finish providing expert preparation of the case before your court appearance and high class advocacy in court.

Fees for defence at court

You may be able to fund your representation via Legal Aid. If you are not eligible or if you prefer to fund your defence on a private basis, we can often provide a fixed fee for your representation so you know where you stand in terms of your costs.

Why choose our criminal lawyers?

Expert, award-winning lawyers

We’ve been by our clients’ sides for over 200 years, and now we want to be by your side in your time of need.

Our team of dedicated lawyers combine legal expertise and fierce defence skills with a friendly, supportive approach. We’ve been independently recognised for our skills time and time again and our crime and criminal defence solicitors:

Are ranked in the top 10 firms of crime and criminal defence solicitors nationwide by independent review site, Review Solicitors.
Are ranked number one locally in Warrington and number two locally in Liverpool and Runcorn by independent review site, Review Solicitors.
Are accredited in Criminal Litigation by the Law Society for our specialist skills in this area.
Won the Liverpool Law Society Criminal Firm of the year in 2019 which is a testament to the expertise and the high regard that the department has in criminal defence.

Honest advice

We always act in our clients’ best interests and strongly believe in ‘telling it as it is’. This means that as much as we’d like to give you a firm answer about how your case will turn out, so many things could happen along the way.

However, this also means that we’re prepared for anything. We are proactive and often spot issues before they arise which means we can prepare a fast defence strategy.

We also make ourselves available at all times – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – so if something unexpected does happen and you need us urgently, you can trust us to be there for you without delay.

24 Hour FREEPHONE Emergency Criminal department Help Line – 0808 196 1790.

A shoulder to lean on

It can often feel like no one really knows how frightening it is to face the weight of the criminal justice system, even when you have family and friends around you.

We may be honest but we’re also supportive and caring. You are going through a difficult time so need someone who understands to guide you through it and provide a listening ear when things are really tough. We’re proud to provide a strong support system for our clients and are here for you.

Flexible and affordable fees, including Legal Aid

There are a few ways you can pay for your legal advice with us, including:

Criminal Legal Aid

If you cannot afford your own legal representation, it may be possible to get Legal Aid to cover some or all of your legal fees.

Whether Legal Aid is right for you will depend on your circumstances. For example, some people are asked to make payments towards their legal fees which might work out more expensive than paying privately. We can provide further information and help you make the right decision for you.

Fixed fees

For many cases, we are able to offer fixed-fee quotes. This means you don’t have to worry about your lawyer watching the clock or the cost of every email or phone call – it will all be included within the quote.

Although there are times when we need to do work outside of a fixed fee quote, we will always talk about this with you first. So, you will always be in the loop about how much your legal advice and representation will cost.

Great client feedback time and time again

We could go on all day about how experienced our lawyers are and how many awards we’ve won, but what is really important is your experience and whether you’re happy with the service you receive.

We think our reviews speak for themselves, but don’t take our word for it, here are just a few:

“From [the] outset Mike gave us a realistic assessment of possible outcomes and advised the best strategy considering circumstances. The approach was balanced explaining potential risks and benefits and resulted in a positive outcome.” – review solicitors, Liverpool office regarding Mike Leeman.

“Darren has provided us with a fantastic service from start to finish. Kept informed every step of the way and nothing was [too] much trouble, would highly recommend it. 10 out of 10…” – review solicitors, Runcorn office regarding Darren Jones.

“Excellent advice and truly professional. We were guided through a very difficult time and would not hesitate to recommend.” – review solicitors, Warrington office.

“Excellent legal representation from Jane and Julian. Throughout the process before the hearing through to a successful outcome at trial Julian was in constant contact with me, giving advice and putting me at ease. On the trial day Jane took the time to coach me in the trial process. During the trial her knowledge and professionalism lead to my acquittal.” – review solicitors, Warrington office regarding Jane Hedges and Julian Tutchener-Ellis.

We never stop improving

Your reviews are really important to us. We take on every bit of client feedback – both the good and not-so-good – which we use to make our services better.

As a result, we’re proud to report that our criminal defence lawyers are consistently highly rated on Review Solicitors and Google and we are ranked in the top 10 of criminal defence firms nationally based on client feedback at Review Solicitors.

Get in touch with our criminal law solicitors

For urgent out of hours matters call FREEPHONE 0808 196 1790

Call 03444 124348 | Ask us a Question

We regularly travel across the country to assist people at the police station or at court. Our lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.