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Q: WHAT WILL IT
COST?
A:
Most of our work is legal-aided and fees are based on the Scottish Legal
Aid Board Schedule 9. For PC cases based on paper reports we usually
suggest sanction of up to one day to start with which often allows us to
complete a report with time for some additional consultation or follow-up.
If the case is complex we would suggest this amount of time anyway to
provide an initial report and a quotation for the bulk of the examination.
Mobile phones are very difficult to assess as these can vary from the
simplest device through obsolete or smart phones up to PDA-like devices
such as the iPhone. For the simplest phones we
reckon on 2-3 hours to provide a data report on both phone and SIM with a
short narrative. Modern smart phones can take up to 12 hours to dump and produce
reports of several thousand pages. We are used to this and can advise
accordingly but usually offer a fixed price equivalent of no more than 4
hours' work.
We generally aim to provide a written quotation within one business day of
having the required information.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR TERMS OF PAYMENT?
A: 30
days following receipt of invoice unless by prior arrangement. We are aware
that criminal legal-aided cases can take a long time to settle and we do exercise
flexibility.
Q: HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
A:
Turnaround time can be anything from a small number of days for phones or
simple PC cases up to a small number of weeks for more complex cases or
where visits have to be arranged.
Q: WHERE CAN YOU GET TO WITHOUT NEEDING OVERNIGHT
ACCOMMODATION?
A: We
can reach Aberdeen, Inverness and Newcastle and still
have enough time to do some useful work within one day. For complex cases
at a distance we will quote for a 3* hotel or quote a rate pro rata for an
extended day.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS?
A: We
employ safes, monitored alarms, professional secure document destruction
and data wiping and encryption as required. Case data is stored on
hardware-encrypted disks or USB sticks when transported away from our
offices.
Q: WHAT ABOUT CUSTODY OF EVIDENCE?
A: We
recommend establishing a chain of custody for items of evidence submitted
for forensic analysis. A chain-of-custody form is included on this web
site. We will return evidence by Royal Mail Special Delivery or a
recognised courier unless instructed otherwise.
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