Going to court: checklist and questions for your solicitor
Going to a criminal court is stressful, and missing it can lead to a warrant for your arrest. Use this checklist to be ready on the day, and take the questions below to your solicitor.
Checked as at 25 September 2026. General information only, not legal advice.
Tick items off on your phone and set a reminder for your court date.
Open the checklist in the app →On the day: checklist
1. Bring your court papers
Take the letter, postal requisition, charge sheet or bail notice that tells you the court, date and time, plus your case number and any papers your solicitor has sent you.
2. Get legal advice before the day
Contact a criminal defence solicitor as early as you can. If you have not arranged one, ask at court for the duty solicitor, who may be able to help you at the magistrates' court.
3. Legal aid and proof of income
Legal aid for court is means-tested and applied for online through your solicitor, so bring evidence such as payslips, benefit letters, bank statements and your National Insurance number. People under 18 or on certain benefits such as Universal Credit pass the means test automatically but must still meet the interests of justice test.
4. Arrive early
HMCTS asks people to arrive about 30 minutes before their listed time. The time on your letter is usually when the court starts, not when your case will be called, so be ready to wait for several hours.
5. Expect a security search
There are airport-style checks: bags are searched and you may walk through a metal detector. Do not bring weapons, knives, glass or alcohol; most liquids other than soft drinks are not allowed.
6. Phones and recording
Silence or switch off your phone before going into the courtroom. Taking photos or recording video or audio anywhere in the court building is not allowed.
7. Dress respectfully
Wear something smart and suitable for a formal public building, as it shows you take the case seriously. Hats and head coverings should be removed unless worn for religious reasons.
8. Find your courtroom and the usher
Check the list or screens to find your courtroom, then give your name to the usher (the court official in a black gown) and tell them whether you have a solicitor.
9. Arrange childcare
Courts have no childcare and staff cannot look after children. Children are not usually allowed into the courtroom, so arrange care or bring an adult who can wait with them outside.
10. Interpreter or extra support
If you need an interpreter, including British Sign Language, or adjustments for a disability, tell your solicitor and the court before the hearing so they can be arranged.
11. Keep to your bail conditions
If you are on bail, keep to every condition and surrender at court on time. Failing to attend without reasonable cause is a separate criminal offence under section 6 of the Bail Act 1976 and the court can issue a warrant for your arrest.
12. If you are late or ill
Phone the court and your solicitor straight away. If you are too ill to attend, get written evidence from a doctor explaining why you cannot come to court; the court decides whether to accept it.
13. Pack a bag just in case
If there is any chance of being remanded or given a custodial sentence, bring a bag with essential medication, a change of clothes, some cash and phone numbers of family written down.
14. Food, water and something to do
Some buildings have no café, so bring food and a non-alcoholic drink. A book or something to read helps with long waits.
Questions to ask your solicitor
At the police station
- Am I under arrest, or am I here voluntarily and free to leave?
- What offence am I suspected of, and what information have the police disclosed so far?
- Should I answer questions, give a prepared statement or say no comment, and what are the risks of each?
- Could a court draw an adverse inference if I stay silent or fail to mention something I later rely on?
- Are the police likely to charge me, release me on bail or release me under investigation?
- Can the police take my fingerprints, DNA or photograph, or search my home or phone?
- Is an out-of-court resolution such as a caution possible, and what would it mean for my record?
- Who can you contact for me, and can you tell my family where I am?
After being charged
- What exactly am I charged with, and what is the maximum sentence?
- Is the offence summary-only, either-way or indictable-only, and which court is likely to deal with it?
- What do my bail conditions mean, and can they be varied?
- Am I eligible for legal aid, and what documents do you need from me?
- What evidence has the prosecution served, and when will we see the rest?
- How much credit would I get for a guilty plea at the first hearing?
- Should I contact anyone, such as my employer, or avoid contact with anyone?
- What should I do now to help prepare my case, such as gathering documents or witness details?
Before going to court
- What will happen at this hearing, and how long might it take?
- Will I be asked to enter or indicate a plea, and what are my options?
- What is the realistic range of outcomes if I plead guilty, or if I am convicted after a trial?
- Is there a risk I could be remanded in custody or sentenced on the day?
- Will the court want a pre-sentence report, and what should I say to the probation officer?
- Should I bring character references, proof of employment or medical evidence?
- Do I need to give evidence at a trial, and who else will be called?
- Where and when should I meet you on the day?
After sentence
- What exactly does my sentence require of me, and for how long?
- Can I appeal the conviction or the sentence, and what is the time limit?
- When will this conviction become spent, and what must I disclose to employers?
- Are there ancillary orders, costs or a surcharge I have to pay, and how?
- What happens if I break the terms of my sentence or order?
- Is my driving licence affected, and when can I drive again?
Official sources
Primary sources and official guidance on this topic, for anyone who wants to read the underlying rules directly.
- GOV.UK, What to expect coming to a court or tribunal
- GOV.UK, Going through security at a court or tribunal building
- HMCTS leaflet, Before court: going to a criminal court as a defendant
- GOV.UK, Criminal legal aid: means testing
- Bail Act 1976, section 6 (offence of absconding by person released on bail)
- Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, section 58 (access to legal advice)
- Sentencing Council, Reduction in sentence for a guilty plea