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Can anyone help please regarding solicitors. I have one for my son, however, since this all started, we have not even met him, and we have the magistrates very near now. We have applied for legal aid and have not heard yet if he can be accepted for it ,due to the fact he works and gets also DLA, which apparently they take into account too. Just though we would have more contact with solicitor really, is this normal and how much contact have the rest of you had with yours, regarding interviews and phone calls etc..?
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Hi there,Originally posted by mumpleasehelpme View Post
I am from Scotland and I know thing do not work in the same way from England but I didn't have very much contact with my sol till I was given my trial date.
It was over a year from the accusation that I got to meet them and go over things.
Stay strong. -
I don't know what is normal. Our sol was very good at texting and mailing but did little or no worthwhile preparation. He was very good at adding to his bill even an email or a text that said 'I hope you are bearing up'. If there was one piece of advice I wish my hub had taken at Christmas, it was to change his leal team. Luckily the District Judge threw us a lifeline on Wednesday although getting hold of a recommended solicitor is proving difficult and we are waiting for responses from several.Originally posted by mumpleasehelpme View Post
If you have any doubts do not 'hope for the best'. We met with sol about 4 weeks after instructing him then with sol and barrister two weeks before court. Court was postponed and the next time we saw them was on Wednesday some three months later. We sent all manner of documents, photos etc, comments on FAs statement to sol. Barrister did not even have knowledge of them even though we copied her into the email that listed the attachments. I have no idea if that is normal but it felt wrong and turned out to be disastrous.
Do what parents do best and follow your gut instinct. Good luck.Comment
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My son is 21 and has the duty solicitor who was provided when he was first arrested last Aug & taken to the police station. Although my son is an adult this solicitor spoke to me at length on the phone during the following week (my son had given his consent for sol to speak to me). I have also phoned sol a couple of times since - when bail was extended, and again when my son was charged. Sol has always been courteous & answered all my questions. My son had a 1 hour appt with sol between being charged and appearing in magistrates court last week. He is on legal aid - sol helped him with application & we have just heard it has been accepted. The sol has told my son that he will build up a big file on him for the defence. Sol suggested a choice of 2 barristers but said we could have any we wanted.Originally posted by mumpleasehelpme View Post
In spite of all this I was still concerned as to whether sol was right one so on advice from this forum I visited local FFOPS office to make enquiries. They were very supportive & put my mind at rest re sol.
My son will be meeting his barrister for 1st time the week after next. No dates for trial yet. 1st crown court for pleas week after next.
I hope this helps. If you are not happy with sol make enquiries, FFOPS has a website and may have a local group in your area.
We have just received copies of all statements and having read them I'm feeling a bit better - I don't understand why CPS are taking it to court.
I understand how you are feeling. It's a nightmare situation to be in.Comment
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Hi, thank you edinguy, is there justice and cat for your response. This information is really helpful and I have wrote it all down, thank you.
Cat, thank you for explaining everything to me. How long did you have to wait for legal aid to be accepted?
Do you know of any good legal aid Barristers, what do legal aid? Do they travel like solicitors would?
Sorry, it is probably obvious, but what does FFOP stand for?
And when you received all the statements, did you receive the girls too? As your son's solicitor, gave him a date yet for Crown court?
Sorry for all these questions cat, but the closer all this gets for court the more stressful it becomes. How is your son coping? He is of similar age to mine. We too can not understand how such a lovely, honest, decent boy like our son, is being put through this hell, just from one word from a girl that has a totally unreliable character. Stay strong cat, and sending a hug to you and your son.Last edited by mumpleasehelpme; 1 March 2014, 04:23 PM.Comment
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FFOPS is Friends & Families of Prisoners - I've only just realised they are a Welsh charity http://ffops.org.uk is there website. They can help advise about court procedure and possibly solicitors.
http://www.pffs.org.uk Is the English equivalent - Prisoners Friends & Families Service.
We heard from Legal Aid within 2 weeks of applying, by letter requesting proof of my son's income. Then just a few days of giving his payslips in he had a letter saying he has it.
The solicitor gave me names of 2 barristers and their chambers and we looked at their CVs online & my son chose one of them. The sol said it is important to have a barrister that my son would get on with and feel comfortable with. He also said if we knew of a barrister and wanted someone else that could be arranged too. I think the solicitor hires the barrister for you. The legal aid letter says it is for crown court too - that's where the barrister works. The sol prepares the case & the barrister presents it in court.
My son appeared in magistrates court 20 days after being charged by police. This was just a 2 minute hearing as the magistrates have to send it to crown court. He now will appear in crown court next week to enter his plea, again this is just a short hearing. There will then be a wait before the case is heard in crown court. 4 - 6 months, possibly longer. The solicitor informed me of all this on the day my son was charged - I phoned him to ask what the process was.
When my son had his meeting with the sol he asked for copies of everything. They arrived in the post after he'd appeared in magistrates court.Comment
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Yes we have copies of the girl's statement too. There is a thread on here somewhere that has some info about solicitors. I'll try and find it one and post the link.Comment
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http://www.daftmoo.org.uk/mooforum/s...ght=specialist
Above is the link to info about specialist solicitor.
The link below gives you some good info about what to expect
http://www.daftmoo.org.uk/mooforum/s...at-happens-nowComment
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Thank you so much cat..this is really helpful for us, thank you. How is your son coping with it all? My son is such a kind, laid-back sort of character. He is really handsome and the girl who has accused him, as known him for quite a long time and slept with him, quite a few times before. This nightmare has had a profound-effect on his health, he is 21 and has a life-limited condition, most people only live to around 30 years old, if they are lucky!.. My son, who was so clever at school, fantastic grades, pass his A-levels and was going to Uni. Who is the sweetest, honest, person everyone knows. Is put through this evil system, by the CPS and police, just by the word of a unreliable, drug-taking girl. We are the victims..it makes me so mad!Last edited by mumpleasehelpme; 2 March 2014, 11:41 AM.Comment
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