Criminal Law Solicitor in Ashford

Common charges and summonses we see from Ashford and the Vartry valley

Much of what comes to us from this part of County Wicklow is ordinary rather than dramatic: a road traffic charge after a checkpoint, a public order matter following a night out, an allegation of assault arising from a dispute that got out of hand, or a possession of drugs charge. Some cases are more serious, heading towards the Circuit Court rather than staying in the District Court, and those need a different kind of preparation from the outset.

Whatever the charge, the questions people ask at the start are usually the same. What happens at the first court date, will I need to go in person, is there a risk I’ll be remanded, and what does a conviction actually mean for my job, my licence or my travel plans. We talk through those questions in plain terms before deciding together whether to proceed.

Steps worth taking before your first court date

The earlier we’re involved, the more options there usually are. Once you have a charge sheet or summons, the date and the alleged offence are set out on it, and that document tells us which court the matter will be listed in and what we need to prepare. We can discuss the circumstances with you on a no-obligation basis, and if you decide to go ahead, we set out the terms of the work in a letter of engagement before anything further is done.

If your means are limited and the charge is serious enough to warrant it, legal aid can be applied for in court, though that depends on your circumstances and is a decision for the judge on the day. Either way, getting the facts to us early, what was said, where it happened, whether there were witnesses, lets us start building a proper response instead of reacting on the morning of the hearing.

Serving Ashford, Rathnew and this stretch of County Wicklow

Ashford has no District Court of its own, and neither does Wicklow town, despite being the county town just 6 km away. Cases from Ashford, Rathnew (about 3 km off) and Glenealy (about 5 km off) are generally listed at Bray Courthouse, which hears both District and Circuit Court matters, or at Arklow Courthouse for District Court business, depending on where the alleged offence occurred and how the Courts Service has scheduled the area.

We take on cases from across County Wicklow and the wider south east and Leinster region, and we don’t need to meet you locally to do that properly. Most of our work with clients in Ashford is arranged by phone or video in the lead-up to the court date, with an in-person meeting at our Kilkenny office if that suits you better.