At the District Court you will be seen by a duty solicitor who will advise you:

• Whether you may have a defence and whether you should plead guilty or not guilty to the charge.
• Whether you should have the case put off for a week or a fortnight to think over how you should plead and to get full legal advice from your own lawyer (this is called a remand without plea).
• How to apply for bail (the right to go free until the next court hearing) and/or name suppression (so your name will not appear in the papers or in the media).
• How to apply for legal aid if you cannot afford your own lawyer, and how much a private lawyer is likely to cost. They will help you to fill out a legal aid form if you want to apply for legal aid.
• What the Police are going to say about the matter (set out in a Summary of Facts - you should ask for a copy of this) and how serious the charge looks and what are the likely penalties (e.g. a fine, periodic detention, prison etc).

The duty solicitor will approach you at court. They are usually in a hurry and you may find it hard to tell your whole story. If in doubt you should always ask the duty solicitor to arrange a 'remand without plea' so you have more time to think about it. This means that the case will be put off to another date without you pleading guilty or not guilty. You do not have to pay for a duty solicitor. It is a service provided by the government for people appearing before court on their first appearance on a particular charge. They are usually experienced and can be very helpful at giving you basic information but if your case is complicated or if you are confused you are wise to see a private lawyer or advice agency.