How to Write Attendance Notes: Step-by-Step Guide for Solicitors and Reps

Writing a good attendance note is not about literary skill — it is about capturing the right information, in the right order, at the right time. This guide walks you through the process from instruction to file closure.

For the complete guide to what attendance notes are and why they matter, see Police Station Attendance Notes (UK Guide).

Before you arrive

Open the record immediately

Start your attendance note when you receive the instruction — not when you arrive at the station. Record:

• Date and time of instruction
• Source (DSCC, own-client call, firm instruction)
• Client name and allegation (as communicated)
• Station name

This establishes the timeline from the outset and ensures travel time is captured from the correct starting point.

Prepare your template or software

Whether you use a Word template, a paper form, or structured software like Custody Note, open it now. Pre-populate the case identifiers. If you are driving, dictate the key details into a voice note and transfer them when you arrive.

At the station — recording as you go

The golden rule of attendance notes: write contemporaneously. Do not plan to “write it up later.” Detail is lost, handwriting is misread, and competing priorities mean the note is never completed properly.

Step 1 — Arrival and booking in

Record your arrival time, the time you booked in with the custody officer, and any initial observations (station busy, long queue, client not yet available). Note the custody record number from the whiteboard or custody sergeant.

Step 2 — Disclosure

When the investigating officer provides disclosure, record:

• Who gave disclosure (name, rank)
• What was disclosed — the specific facts, not just “disclosure given”
• What was withheld — anything explicitly not disclosed or stated to be unavailable
• Your assessment — was the disclosure sufficient to advise?

Poor disclosure notes are the single most common weakness in attendance records. “Disclosure was provided by DC Smith” tells a reviewer nothing. “DC Smith disclosed CCTV showing a person matching the client's description at the retail premises at approximately 21:30 on 14 March. Two witness statements were mentioned but not provided. No forensic evidence was disclosed. ID procedure details were withheld” — that is a disclosure record.

Step 3 — Consultation

Record start and end times. Then capture:

• How you explained the allegation and evidence to the client
• The options you discussed (no comment, prepared statement, full account)
• The client's decision and their reasons
• Any vulnerabilities: mental health, learning difficulty, intoxication, language, fitness to be interviewed
• Whether you recommended an appropriate adult or interpreter

Record the substance of your advice. “Advised client” proves nothing if challenged. “Advised that disclosed CCTV placed client at the scene but did not identify them as the offender; discussed options; client instructed that they were present to make a legitimate purchase and wished to say so via prepared statement” — that stands up.

Step 4 — Prepared statement (if applicable)

If a prepared statement is used, note that you drafted it from the client's instructions, the client reviewed and approved it, and the substance of the position set out. Attach or reference the statement.

Step 5 — Interview

Record start and end times, the names of interviewing officers, and whether the interview was audio or video recorded. Then note:

• Key areas of questioning
• The client's responses (or that they declined to comment)
• Any objections or representations you made
• Any breaks taken
• Any concerns about interview conduct

You are not making a transcript. Record the shape of the interview and anything that might matter later. For detailed guidance, see Police Station Interview Notes Best Practice.

Step 6 — Outcome

Record the outcome immediately: NFA, charge, bail (s.47ZA), RUI, or further detention. Note any conditions, the court date if charged, and what you told the client about next steps.

Step 7 — Time summary

Before you leave the station, complete your time summary:

• Travel (to and from)
• Waiting (between arrival and consultation/interview)
• Consultation
• Interview attendance
• Post-interview / admin

This granular breakdown supports your LAA billing claim. A single “total: 2 hours” is far harder to defend at audit than a segmented record. See Attendance Notes for Legal Aid Billing for how this feeds into your claim.

After the attendance

Review and export

Before you close the record, review each section. Is any field blank that should not be? Is the time summary complete? Does the disclosure section record substance, not just “disclosure given”?

Export or save the note for the firm file. If using Custody Note, this produces a PDF in one click. If using Word, save the final version with a clear file name and send to the firm.

Follow-up actions

Note any diarised actions: disclosure requests, bail return dates, identification procedures, further instructions. These should be visible in the note so the next person who opens the file knows what is outstanding.

Good vs bad attendance notes

A weak note looks like this:

A strong note looks like this:

The first gives a reviewer nothing. The second defends the advice, supports the billing claim, and completes the file. For full worked examples with annotations, see Police Station Notes Example.

Tools that help

A consistent structure is more important than any particular tool. But the right tool enforces that structure under pressure.

• Templates give you sections to fill in — see our Free Attendance Note Template
• Purpose-built software goes further: guided fields, offline support, PDF export, and billing integration. Custody Note is built specifically for this workflow — structured police station attendance notes in minutes, not hours.

Summary checklist

Before leaving the station, confirm:

• Case identifiers complete (DSCC, custody ref, client, offence)
• Arrival and consultation times recorded
• Disclosure recorded in substance
• Consultation advice recorded in substance
• Interview strategy and outcome recorded
• Time summary broken down by stage
• Follow-up actions noted