Criminal Defence Solicitor Software — Built for the Station

Criminal defence solicitors doing police station work need a structured, reliable way to record attendance notes that withstand LAA scrutiny and file audits. CustodyNote is Windows desktop software built specifically for this workflow — from the initial callout notification through to interview notes, advice recorded, and billing fields completed.

The solicitor's workflow at the police station

Police station attendance follows a predictable sequence, but each stage generates information that must be captured accurately and contemporaneously. The typical workflow runs:

Callout received — duty solicitor notification or direct client instruction, with initial offence details and station location
Travel and arrival — journey time, arrival at the custody suite, initial wait
Disclosure — reviewing what the police have provided (often limited at this stage), assessing strength of evidence, and identifying gaps
Consultation — private conference with the client, taking instructions, explaining the allegation, advising on interview strategy and rights (including the right to silence)
Interview — attending the PACE interview, monitoring questions for fairness, intervening where appropriate, and recording what was said
Post-interview — further consultation if needed, representations on charge or bail, and outcome
Billing and file closure — recording times, fee type, disbursements, and producing the attendance note for the firm file

Each of these stages must be recorded. Generic note-taking tools treat all of this as unstructured text. CustodyNote provides dedicated sections for each stage.

What the software does

CustodyNote is a Windows 10 or later (64-bit) desktop application. It does not run on Mac or mobile devices. It provides structured, section-by-section forms for three types of attendance:

PACE custody attendances — the full police station workflow from callout to outcome
Voluntary interviews — adapted fields for non-custody attendances under caution
Telephone advice — brief records for remote instructions and advice given by phone

For each type, the software walks you through the relevant sections, prompting you to record the information that matters — rather than relying on memory or a blank page after the event.

Features built for defence solicitors

Offline-first — your encrypted database is on your laptop. Police station Wi-Fi is unreliable; CustodyNote does not depend on it
AES-256 encryption — client data is encrypted at rest, protecting sensitive case information
PDF export — produce a complete, professional attendance note for your firm file or for submission to an instructing solicitor
LAA billing fields — time recording with start and end times for each stage, fee type selection (fixed fee, escape fee), claim reference, and automatic fee calculation
QuickFile integration — push billing data directly to your invoicing workflow without re-keying
Email templates — pre-built templates for common correspondence: disclosure requests, bail confirmations, and officer communications
Quick Capture — log incoming callout details instantly so nothing is lost before you start the full record
Optional cloud backup — encrypted, UK-hosted (AWS London), with multi-device sync for solicitors who work across machines

LAA billing support

LAA claims require contemporaneous evidence of the work done. For fixed fee claims, your attendance note must confirm the type of attendance, the work carried out, and the outcome. For escape fee claims, a detailed time breakdown is essential — travel, waiting, consultation, interview, and post-interview work, each with start and end times.

CustodyNote builds these billing fields into the attendance record itself. You capture times as you work, select the fee type, and the software calculates the total. This means your attendance note and your billing data describe the same work — which is exactly what LAA assessors look for.

CustodyNote is not endorsed or approved by the Legal Aid Agency. It supports your LAA billing workflow by providing structured fields that align with LAA requirements. For more on how attendance notes support billing, see LAA Attendance Notes Explained.

Consistency across fee earners

Firms with multiple solicitors and representatives attending police stations face a quality control challenge. Each practitioner may structure notes differently, record different levels of detail, and approach billing fields inconsistently. CustodyNote enforces a consistent template across all users, so every attendance note from your firm follows the same structure — regardless of who attended.

Security and compliance

Attendance notes contain sensitive personal data: client names, offence details, legal advice, and case strategy. CustodyNote encrypts all data at rest using AES-256. Cloud backup (optional) uses encrypted transit and UK-hosted storage. The software does not transmit unencrypted client data over the internet and does not share data with third parties.

Pricing

Free 30-day trial with all features enabled. After the trial, £9.99/month (early access pricing). No credit card needed to start. See full pricing details.

Built for how you actually work at the station.

Structured templates, offline working, encryption, LAA billing fields, and PDF export. Free for 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

Is CustodyNote suitable for own-client work as well as duty?

Yes. CustodyNote handles both duty rota attendances and own-client police station work. The structured templates are the same — the only difference is whether the callout comes from the duty solicitor scheme or directly from a client. For duty-specific features, see CustodyNote for Duty Solicitors.

Does it integrate with my practice management system?

CustodyNote exports structured PDFs that can be saved to any case management system. It also integrates with QuickFile for invoicing. Direct integrations with specific PMS platforms are not currently available but are on the development roadmap.

Can multiple solicitors in my firm use the same licence?

Each practitioner needs their own licence. However, optional cloud sync means attendance records can be accessed across devices associated with the same account.

How does it handle voluntary interviews differently?

Voluntary interview templates omit custody-specific fields (custody reference, detention reviews, bail conditions) and include fields relevant to non-custody attendances — such as the basis of the voluntary attendance and the interview location outside a custody suite.

What happens to my data if I cancel?

Your local database remains on your laptop and is always accessible. If you used cloud backup, your encrypted data remains available for download for 90 days after cancellation. Download CustodyNote to try it yourself.