Post-Charge Solicitors for Assault Charges
The moment the police charge you, everything changes. You are no longer just ‘assisting with enquiries’ or ‘under investigation’. You are now a defendant in a criminal case. The police station doors might open to let you out on bail, but the weight of what comes next walks out with you.
For many of our clients, this is the most terrifying moment of their lives. You start contemplating what the outcome might be on your job, your family, and your reputation, and of course, start thinking about the very real possibility of a prison sentence. It is a heavy burden to carry, but you do not have to carry it alone.
The most common mistake people make at this stage is paralysis. They think that because they have been charged, the decision is made, and they must simply wait for their day in court to tell their side of the story. This is dangerous thinking. The period between being charged and standing trial is not a waiting room; it is a battleground.
This is where the right legal team changes everything. At Holborn Adams, we don't wait for court dates; we start working the moment you pick up the phone.
Understanding Post-Charge Assault Solicitors in the UK
When we talk about a post-charge assault solicitor in the UK, we are referring to a very specific type of crisis management. The police have handed their file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The CPS has looked at the evidence and decided two things: first that there is a realistic prospect of conviction, and second, it is in the public interest to prosecute you.
It sounds like they have made up their minds but here is the reality: the file the CPS saw was almost certainly one-sided. It was built by police officers whose job was to find evidence against you, not to look for evidence that clears your name.
This is where the system is stacked against the unrepresented. Without a proactive defence team, that one-sided file becomes the ‘truth’ that the court then reads and interprets. Our job is to dismantle that narrative. We don't simply look at the charge; we look at the entire picture. Was it self-defence? Was it a misunderstanding? Is the claimants account credible when cross-referenced with digital data or CCTV?
The Difference Between Legal Aid and Private Defence
It is important to be honest about the resources available in the current system. Legal aid solicitors do fantastic work, but they are often overwhelmed, carrying huge caseloads that make it impossible to dedicate days of work to a single file before the first hearing.
Holborn Adams is a private firm. We do not accept legal aid and instead work on a fixed-fee basis, which means we have the resources to turn over every stone. We can instruct top-tier forensic experts, spend hours analysing CCTV frame-by-frame, and build a strategy that isn't just about damage limitation, but winning.
Immediate Strategy After Charge: The First 48 Hours
The days immediately following a charge are critical. You will likely be given a date for your first appearance at the Magistrates’ Court that could be mere weeks away. If you sit back and wait for that date, you are wasting valuable time.
Stabilising Your Position
The first thing we do is look at your bail conditions. Often, the police will impose conditions that make normal life impossible, restricting where you can sleep, who you can see, or where you can work. If these conditions threaten your employment or your ability to see your children, we don't just accept them. We apply to vary them immediately. We fight to keep your life as normal as possible while the legal process plays out.
Securing Disclosure
You have a right to know what evidence is being stored against you. We demand the initial disclosure from the CPS immediately. We don't want summaries; we want the raw data. The sooner we see what they have, the sooner we can spot the holes in their story.
Analysing the Evidence: Looking for the Cracks
In assault cases, whether it be Common Assault, ABH (Actual Bodily Harm), or the more serious GBH (Grievous Bodily Harm), evidence is rarely as clear-cut as the police suggest. Eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. Adrenaline, alcohol, and fear all distort memory.
Our approach to evidence review is forensic and aggressive. We interrogate the prosecution's case to build a positive case for you.
Witness Accounts and Inconsistencies
We scrutinise every line of every statement. Does the ‘victim's’ story change between their first account to the 999 operator and their formal statement days later? Do independent witnesses contradict one another? We identify these threads and continue to investigate them until the case begins to unravel.
The "Unused Material" Trap
This is a legal concept that many people outside the profession don't know about. The police collect a lot of evidence. They only use the parts that prove you are guilty. The rest is called unused material.
This might include CCTV footage from a camera that ‘didn't see anything’ (but actually proves you weren't standing where they said you were) or text messages from the complainant that suggest a motive for lying. The police are supposed to disclose this, but they often miss things or deem them irrelevant. We don't trust their judgement on what is relevant. We demand access to the unused material schedules and often find the key to your acquittal hidden there.
Expert Input
If your case relies on medical evidence such as the severity of a wound or digital evidence like phone location data, we don't rely on the police-called experts. We commission our own. We have access to leading forensic pathologists, digital data experts, and psychiatrists who can provide an alternative expert view that challenges the prosecution's assertions in the best way possible.
Preparation for Court: Meticulous and Relentless
Whether your case stays in the Magistrates’ Court or moves up to the Crown Court, preparation is the difference between a prison sentence and an acquittal.
At Holborn Adams, we treat preparation like a military operation. We don't like surprises in the courtroom. By the time you stand before a judge or jury, we want you to know exactly what is going to happen next.
Tailored Defence Statements
You will be required to submit a Defence Statement. In the hands of a generalist solicitor, this is often a generic document denying the offence. In our hands, it is a strategic weapon. We use the defence statement to force the CPS to disclose any specific evidence they might be holding back. We set out our stall early, showing the prosecution that we are serious and that the outcome will not be an easy conviction.
Instructing the Best Counsel
Because we are a private firm, we have access to the best barristers in the country including the King’s Counsel (KCs) and senior juniors who usually handle high-profile cases. We match the barrister to the client, ensuring you have an advocate who understands your specific situation and can command the courtroom.
Negotiation and Resolution: Fighting Smart
True victory isn't always about a dramatic not guilty verdict in a courtroom; often, it’s about ensuring that the courtroom door never opens in the first place. Because our preparation is so forensic, we uncover leverage that others miss. We use this leverage to engage with the CPS before the trial date, hence, we actively challenge their decision to prosecute rather than passively waiting for a judge to decide your fate.
Here is how we fight smart to protect your future:
Pre-Trial Representations: We submit formal legal arguments to the prosecution to begin with. In doing so, we expose specific flaws in the police evidence to prove there is no longer a ‘realistic prospect of conviction’, which in turn often forces them to drop the case early.
Tactical Charge Reduction: We have a strong track record of de-escalating serious charges. Negotiating a GBH charge (prison time) down to Common Assault (a potential fine) is a massive victory that saves careers and keeps families together.
Aggressive Mitigation: Even if you accept involvement in an incident, you should never accept the worst-case scenario. We negotiate the most favourable terms possible, building a mitigation strategy specifically designed to keep you out of prison.
Support Beyond the Law
We know that a post-charge assault solicitor in the UK needs to be more than just a legal support. An assault charge ripples through your whole life.
If you are a professional, a doctor, a teacher, a banker, or a pilot, an assault charge can trigger disciplinary hearings or suspension. We don't ignore this. We work alongside your employment lawyers, providing them with the information they need to protect your job while we fight the criminal case.
We also understand the toll this takes on your mental health as well as that of your family. We are available 24/7. If you have a question at 10 pm on a Friday because you can't sleep from worry, you can reach out to us. We enlighten your partner or parents about the situation, ensuring they remain informed and if the stress becomes too much, we can also refer you to therapeutic support. We defend the person, not just the case number.
Taking the First Step
The most dangerous thing you can do right now is hope for the best. Hope is not a legal strategy.
The criminal justice system is a machine designed to process people. Once you are charged, you are in the gears of that machine. To get out unscathed, or with the least amount of damage, you need a team that knows how to jam those gears. Every step you take after being charged must be deliberate. One wrong word to a probation officer, one missed deadline, or one misunderstood bail condition can have disastrous consequences.
At Holborn Adams, we provide that deliberation. We provide the strategy, the aggression, and the protection you need. We have achieved this for high-net-worth individuals, celebrities, and professionals across the UK. We know the stakes are high. Your liberty, career, and reputation are at stake. If you have been charged, the clock is already ticking. Don't let the prosecution get a head start. Contact us today to start fighting back.
