I've been accused of a crime and need to protect myself ======================================================= If you have been arrested or are facing a criminal investigation, expert legal advice from Vardags can transform your situation. As top criminal lawyers for high net worth and high income individuals, we can help you protect your liberty, your reputation, and your career. We often work closely with our Reputation & Privacy department, our Employment department, and our Family department to provide complete legal support in every aspect of life that might be affected by a criminal investigation. Our specialist criminal lawyers are available to advise and represent our clients—often entrepreneurs, professionals, sports stars, and celebrities—around the clock. We understand the impact on yourself, your family and your career that a criminal accusation can have, whether it be fraud, sexual or drug crimes, or anything else. Whether your case is in the early stages or heading towards trial, it is never too late or too early to seek legal advice from the best criminal defence lawyers. Good legal representation can prevent you from being arrested or charged, whilst having the very best criminal defence lawyer will be vital if your matter proceeds to trial. Our team will help you to minimise the impact criminal charges have on your life and your career. ### 24 Hour Emergency Legal Representation If you need a lawyer immediately because a person has been taken into custody or involved in an incident, Vardags can provide emergency legal cover at any time. "If you want the best, look no further. The team at Vardags offer a Rolls-Royce service from start to finish." ![Legal 500](https://vardags.com/images/logo/legal-500.png) "The criminal team at Vardags go the extra mile to ensure clients' needs are met." ![Legal 500](https://vardags.com/images/logo/legal-500.png) "Excellent criminal department and criminal lawyer... I would use this firm for ANY matter in future. Complete confidence in receiving the best care."Julie Carter (client) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS -------------------------- If the decision is made to undertake an investigation, the investigating officers should ensure that the key evidence is obtained as soon as possible. They must act fairly to all parties involved and they are duty bound to pursue all avenues of enquiry including those that may undermine the allegation or point to the innocence of the accused individual. Normally the police interview will form a key part of an investigation. The officer conducting the interview must ask all questions they consider relevant to obtaining accurate and reliable information about the offence. They must also allow the suspect the opportunity to give an innocent explanation. [FIND OUT MORE](https://vardags.com/faq/criminal-defence/concerns-over-communication-of-events "What if the police believe the allegation without hearing my side of the story?") Despite the impression given by heavy-handed investigations in TV police dramas, there are many checks and measures on police powers of investigation that arise out of numerous sources of legislation, codes of practice, and other guidance. In fact, where the police have already contacted an individual and secured their cooperation with an investigation, it will often not be necessary to proceed to an arrest at all. [FIND OUT MORE](https://vardags.com/faq/criminal-defence/police-home-work "What if the police come to my place of work or home?") The decision to charge an individual with a criminal offence is based on a two-fold test. The first stage of the test involves an assessment of the strength of the evidence in the case. If there is sufficient evidence, the police must go on to consider whether a charge would be in the public interest. At this stage consideration will be given to whether the matter can be appropriately dealt with by way of an out of court disposal. In determining whether an out of court disposal is an appropriate alternative to charge the police will consider the nature of the offence, its seriousness, the impact upon the victim, and other factors such as whether the individual has any antecedents. [FIND OUT MORE](https://vardags.com/faq/criminal-defence/avoiding-court-charges "My priority is to avoid going to court, is there any way I can avoid a charge?") A police caution may be awarded in the less serious sorts of criminal cases as an alternative to charge. A person who receives a police caution for an offence does not have to attend court and will therefore avoid the time, expense, and disruption of court proceedings. They will also avoid the risk of receiving a conviction for an offence. However, whilst it is clearly a less serious sanction than a criminal conviction, it must be understood that a caution is still a serious matter in its own right. It will remain on the police national computer and should you work within a number of limited occupations you might be obliged to disclose the fact of the caution to a potential employer. Furthermore, certain countries will require an individual to disclose a caution for the purposes of travel and visa applications. Given the complexity of the law around cautions and the potential impact on an individual's reputation, it is essential that a person seeks legal advice before accepting one. [FIND OUT MORE](https://vardags.com/faq/criminal-defence/accepting-police-caution "Should I accept a police caution?") [MORE FAQS](https://vardags.com/faq/criminal-defence) OUR Criminal Defence TEAM ------------------------- [### Lucy Winter](https://vardags.com/solicitors/london/lucy-winter "Lucy Winter") [Criminal Defence Consultant](https://vardags.com/solicitors/london/lucy-winter "Lucy Winter") [### Lucy Winter Criminal Defence Consultant](https://vardags.com/solicitors/london/lucy-winter "Lucy Winter") [Meet the rest of the team](https://vardags.com/team/criminal-defence) Is Vardags Right For You? ------------------------- We offer a free consultation to qualifying individuals. Please call our confidential enquiry line on **020 7404 9390**. Lines are staffed 24 hours. When you contact us a member of our client relations team will take the full details of your situation, assess whether we can assist you, and if so, determine the best team for your case. 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We specialise in complex, high net worth and international cases. The Legal 500 has said of Vardags: "The team is noted for its sheer intellect" [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/divorce "Divorce") Vardags is among the leading family law firms in the UK. Our solicitors specialise in complex cases for high net worth individuals, including international child relocation, child abduction, and prenuptial agreements. The Legal 500 has said that "clients feel in totally safe hands" with Vardags' Children & Family lawyers. [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/children-and-family "Children & Family") Our reputation and privacy team, headed by top media lawyer Alex McCready, works in and out of the public eye on cases involving defamation, privacy and reputation management. We provide expert advice and representation across the full range of reputation and privacy related matters, including crisis management, emergency injunctions and actions against online and new media. [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/reputation-privacy "Reputation & Privacy") Vardags is a leading UK law firm with expertise in complex disputes relating to a range of corporate law matters. Our team has a wealth of expertise to help clients with their legal needs. [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/corporate "Corporate") Vardags is a successful and rapidly-growing law firm with an outstanding reputation for winning cases. [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/criminal-defence "Criminal Defence") Vardags is a top law firm with a trailblazing fertility and surrogacy department. We have had success with some of the most groundbreaking cases of the last decade in the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court, with rulings that have changed the law. Vardags remains at the cutting edge of fertility law, pushing for further improvement of the outdated legislation in place in Britain. [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/fertility-surrogacy "Fertility & Surrogacy") Vardags' civil litigation team is renowned for its nous and its consistent ability to deliver results. [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/commercial-civil-litigation "Commercial & Civil Litigation") Vardags' wills and trusts team has the specific expertise to cater to the wills and trusts needs of high-net-worth and high-profile individuals. Richard Todd QC, Leading Counsel for Yasmin Prest said of Vardags: "a note to acknowledge your firm's pivotal role in achieving such an outstanding result in the recent Supreme Court case of Petrodel v Prest". [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/wills-trusts "Wills, Trusts and Probate") Vardags is a leading family law firm with specialist expertise in assisting clients who are experiencing domestic abuse. We appreciate that those in abusive relationships may face difficulties contacting us. We can provide additional discretion, such as arranging alternative meeting places and talking via our WhatsApp service. [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/domestic-abuse "Domestic Abuse Lawyers") [Find out more](https://vardags.com/services/sje-and-shadow-experts "Single Joint Experts & Shadow Experts")