Whilst you are at the Police Station you are entitled to free legal advice from our lawyers. Thereafter you may be summonsed or charged to appear at the Magistrates Court. You will be entitled to representation at court if your case meets the interests of the justice test. (I.e. If the offence that you have been charged with is imprisonable). Since October 2006, you will also have to pass the means test, this means that the state will only pay the cost of your legal representation in certain circumstances:

• If you are in receipt of certain types of benefit you will qualify for legal aid should you provide all the relevant information including your National Insurance Number
  
• If you are under 18 and in full time education you will automatically qualify for legal aid.
  
• If you are a youth (aged 17 or under) you will automatically qualify for legal aid.

When applying the means test – if your annual income is:

• £12,007 or less, you will qualify
• £21,487 or more, you do not qualify
• More than £12,007 and less than £21,487, the full means test will need to be applied.