What It Is, Why It Matters, and How It Can Help
If you’re under investigation for a serious offence, it probably already feels like the system is stacked against you. The process drags on for months—sometimes even years—and all the while, it can feel like nobody is listening to your side of the story. You might be trying to hold your life together while carrying the weight of an allegation that you know isn’t true.
Most people in your position have already been through a police interview. Maybe you answered their questions. Maybe you gave a prepared statement and said nothing else. Or maybe your solicitor advised a full “no comment” interview. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer—what matters is what comes next.
What Happens After the Interview?
After the initial interview, the police go away to carry out their investigation. In theory, they’re supposed to gather evidence both for and against the accusation. In fact, under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, they have a legal duty to follow all reasonable lines of enquiry, whether they point toward guilt or innocence.
But here’s the reality: that duty often goes unmet. Many officers are undertrained or overworked. Some fixate on “believing the victim” and pursue only the bits that might support a prosecution. This is especially true in specialist teams like CAIT or RASSO, where the culture can be heavily slanted.
If your interview was “no comment”—as it often is when you’re advised not to disclose your defence too early—then the police often remain completely unaware of crucial lines of enquiry unless you or your solicitor puts them on notice.
That’s a major problem.
The first key decision police make is whether to send the case to the CPS at all. If the case is weak or lacking evidence, the officer in charge can close it down with No Further Action (NFA). But that only happens if they’re aware of the problems—and that’s where pre-charge representation comes in.
Legal Aid: Where It Starts… and Where It Stops
At the police station, you had a legal right to free legal advice—whether you were interviewed voluntarily or under arrest. That’s non-means tested and covers your initial interview.
But that’s where the coverage ends for most people.
After the interview, legal aid is only available if:
- You’re brought back for a second interview (again, free regardless of income), or
- You’re charged—in which case legal aid becomes available again, but it’s means-tested.
In the gap between interview and charge—which can last months or years—you’re on your own unless you pay privately.
Some very limited “pre-charge” work can sometimes be carried out on legal aid — but this is rare, often restricted to basic queries, and won’t involve formal submissions or expert defence-building.
Why Pre-Charge Representation Can Make All the Difference
While the police investigate, nobody is officially on your side. There’s no one pushing back, chasing up leads that help you, or correcting the false assumptions that often make their way into the file.
That’s what pre-charge representation is for. It’s about having a specialist solicitor in your corner—someone who can:
- Contact the officer in charge and get updates (or chase silence)
- Identify weaknesses in the complainant’s account
- Submit formal representations to the police and CPS explaining why there’s no realistic prospect of conviction
- Highlight key evidence the police haven’t looked at—messages, locations, timelines, third-party witnesses
- Submit medical or forensic reports where appropriate
- Take defence witness statements early, rather than relying on the police to gather them (or not)
- Instruct independent experts—especially in medical or technical areas—who can examine evidence with a critical eye
- Push for the investigation to be dropped before CPS ever get involved
If done early enough, this can help prevent a flawed file even reaching the CPS—or seriously influence the CPS decision by showing that a charge would be unjustified.
The earlier you instruct someone, the better chance they have to intervene before key decisions are made.
What’s Typically Included in Pre-Charge Work?
Every firm’s approach is slightly different, but a proper, well-run pre-charge service will usually include:
- A detailed review of your account and any digital or written materials you have
- A client meeting (by phone, video, or in person)
- Advice on what evidence to preserve, request, or obtain
- Help structuring a written timeline and your version of events
- Formal submissions to the officer in charge or the CPS
- Taking statements from supportive witnesses
- (Where necessary) Referrals to digital forensic specialists or medical experts
- Ongoing contact with the police to monitor progress and put pressure on where needed
If you’ve already been advised to give a “no comment” interview, this is often the first and only chance to set the record straight before a charging decision is made.
What Does It Cost?
Unfortunately, pre-charge representation has to be privately funded. But that doesn’t mean it has to cost the earth.
For a straightforward case involving a single allegation with a modest amount of material, we’d expect a fair fee to sit in the region of £3,000 to £6,000 plus VAT.
This should cover the core work—interviewing you, reviewing documents, building a strategy, contacting police, preparing submissions. If something more specialist is needed—like mobile phone analysis, independent medical reports, or expert evidence—your solicitor should explain that separately and give you the choice before incurring more cost.
You do not need to pay £10,000+ just to get someone to read your file and send one letter. Watch out for inflated fixed-fee firms promising the world but doing little.
Is It Worth It?
That depends on your case—but for many people, the answer is absolutely yes.
Once a charge is laid, the damage is done. You’re in court, you’re on bail, you’re potentially facing public exposure and life-altering consequences. Fighting it becomes harder, more expensive, and emotionally draining.
Stopping that charge before it happens—by showing the police and CPS early on that the case is weak or unfair—is often the single most important step you can take.
If your case is dragging on, if you’ve got evidence no one has looked at, or if you just don’t trust the process to be fair—speak to a solicitor who specialises in this kind of work. Let them assess whether they can help and what it would cost. It might just change the course of your life.
Who We Recommend – and Why
Accused.Me.UK has supported tens of thousands of people over the past decade. We’ve seen the best and worst of what the legal world offers. And sadly, we’ve heard too many stories of people being fleeced—paying £8,000, £10,000, £12,000 for “pre-charge representation” that amounted to nothing more than a couple of generic letters and silence.
That’s why we only recommend people we trust.
Nicola Hutchinson
Nicola is a senior equity partner at Reeds Solicitors, one of the UK’s largest and most respected criminal defence firms. She’s built a reputation for being honest, sharp, and relentless when it comes to police failings. Nicola has become more and more concerned by the sheer volume of poor arrests, weak cases, and endless delays—and she’s made it her mission to offer a strong, reasonably priced alternative to sitting back and hoping for the best.
Harvey Fox
Harvey is one of the most experienced pre-charge lawyers in the country. Previously based at a respected London firm, he joined Nicola’s team to remove the geographical restrictions that were limiting who he could help. Together, they’ve built a specialist team within Reeds that focuses exclusively on high-quality, budget-conscious pre-charge work.
We recommend Nicola and Harvey because we’ve seen them deliver, time and time again.
Important
Don’t use the general contact page on the Reeds website if you want to reach them. You’ll likely get redirected to someone else.
Instead, use the direct contact details below, which go straight to them.
If you would like to seek any clarification from us you can contact us via email at enquiries@accused.me.uk or you can contact us.
 REEDS Solicitors Contact Nicola Hutchinson 07811 412539 n.hutchinson@reeds.co.uk For More Information About Reeds Click Here | For Any Area Not Listed Below Contact Nicola |
REEDS Solicitors Contact Harvey Fox 07973 259382 h.fox@reeds.co.uk For More Information About Reeds Click Here | London British Transport Police East Anglia Essex Kent Norfolk Suffolk Sussex Surrey Cambridgeshire Berkshire Buckinghamshire Bedfordshire |
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