What Must Be Included in Attendance Notes: The Definitive Checklist

By Custody Note Editorial·15 February 2026·Updated 31 May 2026

Product editorial team — criminal defence workflow guidance for England and Wales. Content reviewed for general professional workflow accuracy; not legal advice.

A section-by-section checklist of what should appear in every police station attendance note. Use it as a quality-control reference before you close any record.

Section 1 — Case Reference & Arrival. The required fields list, as it actually appears in the app.

For the complete guide, see Police Station Attendance Notes (UK Guide).

Section 1 — UFN, file ref, DSCC number, instructing firm, instruction time and the 45-minute test.

1. Case identifiers

Client full name
Date of birth
Custody record number (or police reference for voluntary)
DSCC reference number
Instructing solicitor / firm and fee earner reference
Police station name
Date of attendance
Alleged offence(s) with statutory reference

The DSCC reference links to your LAA claim. The custody record links to the custody officer's log. The fee earner reference ensures the billing team can match the note to the matter.

Section 2 — Journey to Station. Departure time, mode of travel, arrival at the custody suite.

2. Notification and arrival

Time instruction received
Source of instruction (DSCC, own client, firm)
Time departed for station
Time arrived at station
Time booked in with custody officer or front desk

Establishes the travel and waiting timeline for billing. Arrival time marks the start of your presence at the station.

Section 5 — Disclosure. Type, officer, narrative and timestamp — every required field captured by name.

3. Disclosure

Name and rank of officer providing disclosure
Specific facts disclosed (not just “disclosure given”)
Evidence mentioned but not provided
Evidence explicitly withheld
Format of disclosure (oral, written summary, shown documents)
Your sufficiency assessment

This is the most commonly under-recorded section. Your disclosure note is critical if the case goes to trial and the prosecution relies on evidence not disclosed at the police station stage.

Section 6 — Consultation. Tickbox checklists for conflict, advice, client understanding and custody-record review.

4. Consultation

Start and end times
How you explained the allegation and evidence to the client
Options discussed (no comment / prepared statement / full account)
Client's decision and reasons
Risks flagged
Vulnerabilities: mental health, learning difficulty, intoxication, language, fitness to be interviewed
Whether appropriate adult or interpreter was requested
Whether the client appeared fit to be interviewed

Section 7 — Interview. Prepared statements are a Quick fill option that records caution status and content separately.

5. Prepared statement (if used)

Confirmation that statement was drafted from client's instructions
Confirmation that client reviewed and approved
Summary of the position set out (or reference to attached copy)

Section 7 — Interview. Multiple interviews, breaks, and times all captured separately within one section.

6. Interview

Start and end times
Names of interviewing officers
Recording method (audio / video)
Key areas of questioning
Client's responses or confirmation of no-comment approach
Objections and representations made by you
Breaks taken (with times)
Concerns about interview conduct

For detailed guidance on this section, see Police Station Interview Notes Best Practice.

Section 8 — Outcome. Decision, next location, next date, further attendance and follow-up.

7. Outcome and next steps

Outcome: NFA, charge, pre-charge bail (s.47ZA), RUI, further detention
If charged: offence(s), court date, bail conditions
If bailed or RUI: conditions, return date
Post-interview advice to client
Follow-up actions and diary dates

Section 9 — Time Recording & Fees. Departure, return, waiting time, multiple journeys — aggregated for the LAA claim.

8. Time summary

Travel time (to and from station)
Waiting time
Consultation time
Interview attendance time
Post-interview / admin time
Total attendance time

For how this feeds into your LAA claim, see Attendance Notes for Legal Aid Billing.

Open Matters — the dashboard view of every billing-relevant field across the practice.

9. LAA billing fields (where applicable)

Claim type and fee code
Fixed fee or escape fee indicator
Disbursements (interpreter, mileage, other)
Notes supporting the CRM narrative

Section 3 — Custody Record. Custody-specific fields layered on top of the universal sections.

Additional sections for custody attendances

Detention review times and any representations
Whether s.56 (someone informed) and s.58 (legal advice) rights were exercised, delayed, or waived
Appropriate adult involvement
Medical attention requested or provided
Extensions of detention

All Records — every attendance you have written, with the same checklist applied, end to end.

Use this checklist every time

Print this page and keep it with your working materials, or use software that builds the checklist into the workflow. Custody Note includes every section above as guided fields — so nothing is skipped, even at 3am in a busy custody suite.

Every section above, built into guided fields.

Custody Note prompts each section in sequence — offline, encrypted, with instant PDF export. 30-day free trial, no credit card.

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