Frequently Asked Questions

A police station representative (or "rep") is an accredited legal professional who attends police stations on behalf of criminal defence solicitor firms to advise and assist suspects during police interviews. Reps are accredited through the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme (PSRAS) and appear on the LAA Police Station Register; they work under the supervision of an SRA-regulated firm holding a Standard Crime Contract — they are not solicitors and are not directly regulated by the SRA in the same way.

To become an accredited police station representative you typically need to: (1) secure a Standard Crime Contract firm willing to supervise you, (2) enrol with an approved assessment organisation (Cardiff or Datalaw) — no law degree is required, (3) pass the written stage and build a supervised portfolio, (4) pass the Critical Incidents Test (CIT), and (5) be added to the Police Station Register via ADMIN 2. The Police Station Qualification (PSQ) is for duty solicitors, not reps. See our full guide for step-by-step guidance.

Successful police station reps tend to be calm under pressure, excellent communicators, and highly organised. You will often be called out at short notice (including nights and weekends), so reliability and flexibility are essential. Attention to detail and a thorough knowledge of PACE and the Codes of Practice are critical.

The most effective routes to freelance work are: (1) registering on PoliceStationRepUK so firms can find you instantly, (2) joining our WhatsApp group where firms post urgent cover requests, (3) networking directly with criminal defence firms in your area, and (4) building relationships with firms that receive DSCC duty allocations (reps attend on a firm's instruction — they cannot be on the duty solicitor rota themselves). See our Get Work guide for a full strategy.

No — registration is completely free. There are no subscriptions, no hidden costs, and no commission on the work you receive. Creating and maintaining your profile on PoliceStationRepUK will always be free.

The WhatsApp group is for fully accredited police station reps and verified criminal defence firms/solicitors only. You must provide proof of accreditation (PSRAS, LCCSA, CLSA or equivalent — not in training). Instructing firms cannot claim legal aid for non-accredited reps and you will not be paid for that work. Once verified, you'll receive cover requests in real time. Not fully qualified? Use the community forum at /Forum. Join via the WhatsApp page.

No. The Facebook group is open to all and we do not verify members or check accreditation. If you post a job or cover request there, you must confirm yourself that anyone who accepts is fully accredited before instructing them — non-accredited attendance cannot be billed under legal aid. The WhatsApp group is verified and continually checked. See /Forum for the full comparison.

You need a Facebook account and must be logged in to Facebook before the Join button appears. If the group is private, an admin must approve your request — we cannot approve Facebook memberships from this site. For WhatsApp invite problems (fully accredited reps only), see /WhatsApp or email robertcashman@defencelegalservices.co.uk with proof of accreditation. For directory or website issues, use /Contact or /FAQ.

PoliceStationRepUK is operated by Defence Legal Services Ltd, an independent directory service. We are not affiliated with The Law Society, SRA, LCCSA, CLSA, the Legal Ombudsman, any UK police force, or any government body. We cannot provide legal advice or access case management systems.

A Featured Listing gives your profile priority placement at the top of all search results, making you more visible to solicitor firms seeking cover. Featured listings are available for a small annual fee. See the Go Featured page for current pricing and availability.