Legal Aid is regulated by the Scottish Legal Aid Board. I am registered to provide criminal legal aid and has done so since 2002. This firm has now been audited three times by the Board and passed as satisfactory every time (being the highest assessment available). As part of the provision of legal aid I am on the local Duty Solicitor rota for Inverness and appear on the Inverness/Nairn/Aviemore Police Station Duty Scheme.

It is not possible to give a complete picture on a site such as this regarding legal aid. Details of the costs of legal aid can be found on the Scottish Legal Aid Board Website. Broadly speaking the limits are captial below £1716 and a free income (after removing costs such as housing, loan repayments, maintance etc)of £245 per week. The situation will depend on the type of case, the personal circumstances of the applicant and the nature of the charges. In some cases legal aid will be covered by the duty scheme. There is no cap to eligibility for advice at police interviews and I would strongly urge anyone about to face a police interview to seek legal representation. I am happy to discuss eligibility for legal aid with any client free of charge. It is best to contact me sooner rather than later (preferably before you are interviewed by the police). YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK FOR REPRESENTATION BEFORE A POLICE INTERVIEW.

Due to the current rules to complete a legal aid form it will be necessary to know your national insurance number, see details of income (either benefits, wages or accounts, obtain your bank details (recent bank statement)and see proff of rent/mortgage payments. It may also be necessary to ask about details of your spouse/partner including their national insurance number.

The MoD have their own legal aid scheme which will cover appearances at PACE interviews. It is best to arrange for the service police to contact me before any interview. I no longer undertake Court Martial work as there are no military Courts sitting in Scotland.

If in doubt it is better to complete an application and let the Scottish Legal Aid Boad determine if you qualify. I do not charge for this. Generally speaking once granted legal aid will cover an applicant until the conclusion of a case. It may also be extended to cover appeal work (if required).