Best police station attendance note software (UK): how to choose

I won't tell you one product is the best: that depends on how you and your firm work. What I can do, as a defence solicitor who has attended police stations since 2001 and built Custody Note, is set out the criteria that matter at the station and how the main types of tool compare.

The criteria that matter at the police station

• Works without signal. Custody suites and interview rooms often have poor or no mobile signal and no guest Wi-Fi. If a tool needs a connection to save, it will fail you at the worst moment.
• Follows the attendance. Prompts for custody record review, disclosure, consultation, interview and outcome, in the order they happen.
• Captures times properly. Arrival, consultation, interview and departure times feed both the note and the legal aid claim.
• Gets the note onto the file. A PDF or export your firm can actually use, the same day.
• Protects client data. Encryption on the device, and a clear answer on where data is stored.
• Fits your devices. Windows laptop, Mac, tablet or phone.
• Cost and commitment. Whether you can try it properly before paying, and whether it needs a firm-wide rollout.

The main types of tool

Case management systems with a mobile or attendance module

Good if your firm already runs the system and wants every note inside the matter record. Usually involves firm-level setup and licensing. Check each provider's own website for current features, offline support and pricing.

Generic note apps

Flexible and familiar, but they give you a blank page: no prompts for disclosure or interview, no structured times, and no billing fields. See Custody Note vs generic note apps.

Word or paper templates

Free and simple, and a good template produces a complete note. The weak points are consistency, legibility and typing it up afterwards. See Custody Note vs Word and paper templates, or get our free attendance note template.

Purpose-built attendance note apps

Built around the police station attendance itself. Custody Note is one of these.

Where Custody Note fits

Custody Note is a focused attendance note app for criminal defence solicitors and accredited representatives in England and Wales. It runs on Windows and Mac, works fully offline, encrypts notes on the device, walks you through custody, voluntary and telephone attendances section by section, and exports a PDF. It is free during beta.

It is not a case management system. If your firm wants every note created inside its practice management software, a case management module may suit you better. If you want a fast, structured note you can complete at the station and send to the file, try Custody Note alongside whatever you use now.

Frequently asked questions