Holborn Adams’ Pre‑Charge Strategy: Inside Our Approach
In criminal law, timing can be everything. In fact, for many people in the UK, the most important legal decisions happen long before anyone is officially charged. And that’s where the professionals at Holborn Adams have made their biggest impact.
Our team not only pioneered the idea of effective early legal representation in the UK but also transformed it into a complete strategy designed to protect our clients’ rights and reputations before a case ever reaches court.
For years, our pre-charge solicitor team has worked to redefine how people under investigation are represented. Instead of waiting for the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether to file charges, we get involved early.
The Holborn Adams Precharge strategy allows us to actively shape the investigation, protect your rights, and seek outcomes that avoid prosecution altogether. This article takes you inside our client-centred defence model, one built on early action, expert legal intervention, and holistic pre-charge support.
Rapid Response and Early Legal Representation
When you’re arrested in the UK or asked to attend a police interview under caution, every minute matters. At Holborn Adams, we don’t wait. Our team begins working immediately after we are contacted by a client. Based on the nature of the offence, your location, and any personal or professional sensitivities involved, we will assign the ideal pre-charge solicitor to represent your case.
From the very start, we assess risks and outline your options for pre-charge legal help. More importantly, we begin communicating with the authorities to ensure your rights are respected. Whether you’re facing false allegations or legitimate scrutiny, having early legal representation can make all the difference in the outcome. It’s our job to be there the moment you need us.
Influencing the Investigation Early
Pre-charge engagement in the UK is a powerful tool for citizens and non-citizens alike. Above all, it gives suspects a voice during the investigation phase, and Holborn Adams knows how to make that voice count. Our solicitors establish early and direct contact with the investigating officers and CPS teams. This not only allows us to listen to the facts being gathered, but it gives us the opportunity to challenge assumptions before they begin to be perceived as “facts.”
And facts matter, especially in the pre-charge phase. That is why we carefully and deliberately submit formal communications that serve to highlight errors or gaps in the evidence. This can prevent flawed investigations from proceeding. In some cases, we can also propose alternate lines of inquiry or request that no further interviews or bail conditions be imposed. These steps are part of our defence engagement process and form a core part of how we help people under investigation avoid unnecessary charges.
Evidence-Led Case Building
The defence engagement process at Holborn Adams is one of the most advanced in the country. After reviewing the evidence provided by the police, we will carry out our own investigation to determine the accuracy and relevancy of the Crown’s case. That means gathering your account, analysing phone records, locating witnesses, reviewing third-party materials, and bringing in forensic or digital experts where needed.
With the support of specialists, we draft letters of representation and formal pre-charge engagement submissions in accordance with the 2020 Attorney General's Guidelines on Disclosure. These documents are used to explain your side of the story and to argue for a fair and proportionate response. If you are innocent or if the CPS’ case is erroneous or disadvantageous in any way, we will use that to persuade authorities to take no further action.
Holistic Client Support
Legal problems don’t just happen in courtrooms. They affect your life, your family, and your mental health. At Holborn Adams, we understand that. That’s why we provide more than just legal advice. From the moment we take you on as a client, you are assigned a dedicated contact who can coordinate schedules, answer urgent questions, and protect your privacy.
If the case or situation calls for it, we are happy to connect you with one of our trusted mental health professionals. This is especially important for high-profile cases or situations in which the accused or their family may be put under significant stress.
For high-net-worth individuals facing public scrutiny, regulated professionals, and celebrities, we also offer tailored guidance on how to manage career risks, employer concerns, and financial fallout.
Whatever your situation, we help ensure you’re protected from every angle - not just legally, but personally, emotionally, and financially.
Reputation Management and Media Containment
Being under investigation can attract unwanted media attention. While this is especially true for athletes, celebrities, and business leaders, cases like that of Dale Semper prove that anyone can be thrown into the public spotlight.
Holborn Adams has a team specifically trained in crisis management for athletes UK and other high-profile clients, but can easily tailor their efforts to anyone undergoing unwanted media scrutiny. From embargoed statements and public relations experts to media monitoring tools, our strategy is 100% built around protecting your image.
When necessary, a member of our team will speak directly to journalists to manage how a case is reported. Other times, we work behind the scenes to prevent leaks or social media speculation. Either way, our goal is the same: control the narrative and protect your reputation while we work toward a legal resolution.
Proactive Resolution
One of the biggest benefits of the Holborn Adams pre-charge strategy is that it often prevents charges from being filed at all. One look at our case history will show countless NFA (no further action), dismissals, and withdrawn charges. When wrongdoing has occurred, we work to resolve it discreetly and proportionately via cautions, community resolutions or other means.
Perhaps the most important thing people need to understand about the law is that lawyers, police, and CPS are not enemies on some imaginary legal battlefield. The goal is always to work toward a resolution that is in the best interests of the victim, the accused, the public, and the Crown.
Our solicitors have spent years negotiating and forming relationships with the CPS and investigators. By sharing key information, showing evidence of rehabilitation, or highlighting flaws in the investigation, we help clients avoid the trauma of formal prosecution while achieving everyone’s respective goals.
A Client-Centred, Results-Driven Approach
From celebrities to CEOs, our clients come to Holborn Adams for one reason: results. They trust our team of expert pre-charge criminal lawyers to manage complex legal challenges with discretion and care. They know that the same team includes former prosecutors, high-profile defence specialists, and crisis management experts, and that those people will get them through whatever they’re facing.
At Holborn Adams, each case is treated with the highest level of attention, whether it’s a high-profile actor like Phil Middlemiss, an average citizen, or a visitor to the UK. We don’t pass clients between departments. We don’t overload our team. We never settle when there’s a better outcome in reach. Through it all, we provide clear guidance, rapid responses, and a strategy built around you.
If you’re facing a pre-charge investigation, don’t wait for the system to act against you. Contact Holborn Adams today and let our team deliver the outcome you deserve—before charges are ever considered.
