Ground Floor, Griffin House, 15-16 Lower Park Row, Bristol BS1 5BN
Office 0117 929 9001 24hr helpline 0117 929 8987
Bobbetts · Mackan Solicitors and Advocates · Bristol 24hr helpline 0117 929 8987
Bristol · since the mid 1800s · SRA 70535

Criminal defence, family and children, on the Bristol register since the 1800s.

We are Bobbetts Mackan, solicitors and advocates on the ground floor of Griffin House, Lower Park Row, five minutes from the Bristol Crown Court. The firm was established by the Bobbetts Brothers in the mid 1800s, joined Parry Mackan in the 1980s and Culpan Williams in January 2005. Tony Miles leads the criminal defence team, Sally Mitchell leads family, Kevin Wood runs civil family. We act for clients who pay privately and for those who are publicly funded.

24hr helpline 0117 929 8987 Office line, weekday hours ›
Legal 500 Band 1, criminal defence and fraud, South West
Chambers and Partners Band 1, criminal defence
Lexcel Law Society practice management standard
CQS Conveyancing Quality Scheme accredited
Lower Park Row, Bristol, looking down toward Christmas Steps from Park Row, with The Ship Inn in the foreground
Lower Park Row · Bristol BS1 Griffin House sits on this street, two minutes from College Green and five from the Crown Court on Small Street.
Four practice teams under one roof

Three specialist teams, and a Courts Martial practice that sits inside the criminal department.

Criminal Defence

Police station to Court of Appeal, instructed at any hour.

Tony Miles, Senior Partner

Recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners as a Band 1 criminal defence practice for the South West. Our solicitor advocates cover the full range of work, from a 2am attendance at Trinity Road custody through to Crown Court trial on Small Street and onward appeals. Steve George and James Lander sit alongside Tony Miles in court; Jane Griffiths and Heather Taylor run the Crown Court files. Peter Conchie advises on prison law.

  • Police station representation (24hr helpline)
  • Magistrates and Crown Court advocacy
  • Court of Appeal and judicial review
  • Inquests and Courts Martial
  • Prison law (parole, recategorisation, adjudications)
Family and Children

No-fault divorce, financial settlements, the care of children.

Sally Mitchell, Managing Partner

The post-6-April-2022 no-fault divorce procedure is now the default, and we work it daily. Sole or joint application, the 20-week wait to Conditional Order, the further 6 weeks to Final Order, financial remedy in parallel. Our children work runs from private-law residence and contact disputes through to public-law care proceedings, instructed by parents and other family members.

  • No-fault divorce (fixed fee on the new procedure)
  • Financial settlements and pensions on divorce
  • Private-law children proceedings
  • Public-law care and supervision orders
  • Domestic abuse and non-molestation orders
Serious Fraud and Regulatory

White-collar defence with business and finance grounding.

Tony Miles, Senior Partner

One of the early-listed firms on the Legal Services Serious Fraud Panel. We defend allegations brought by the police, Customs and Excise, the DTI and the Serious Fraud Office, and conduct internet-offence cases with forensic computing support. The Defence Team understands business and finance, so the technical detail does not get lost between counsel and client.

  • Serious Fraud Office investigations
  • Customs and Excise enquiries
  • Forensic computing support for internet offences
  • Confiscation and POCA proceedings
  • Regulatory and professional misconduct
Courts Martial

Service personnel, military justice, the culture of the court.

Criminal Defence team

A distinct part of the criminal practice. Service personnel facing Court Martial proceedings need representation that understands the rank structure, the Service Prosecuting Authority, summary hearing rights, and the way evidence works under the Armed Forces Act. We have acted in cases at Bulford and Catterick and at the Military Court Centre.

  • Summary hearings and elective Court Martial
  • Service Prosecuting Authority files
  • Service custody and bail
  • Armed Forces Act compliance
The partners

Three partners. Named solicitors and legal assistants on every file.

Supported by Jonathan Hewitt and Jo Newman on civil family; Steve George and James Lander as associate solicitors in criminal defence; Peter Conchie as solicitor consultant on prison law; Jane Griffiths and Heather Taylor running the Crown Court files; Joy Tuckwell and Jessica Gavrikov-Zinchenko on support.

Two mergers, three teams, one Bristol firm

One hundred and fifty years of practice on the Bristol register.

The firm has its origins in the mid 1800s, when the Bobbetts Brothers set out as lawyers committed to the provision of affordable and accessible legal services to local people. To this day we maintain that tradition. Across one hundred and fifty years the practice has grown and developed, taking in two other well-established Bristol firms along the way: Parry Mackan in the 1980s, and Culpan Williams in January 2005. We are local lawyers with a regional presence, and clients reach us through specialist teams that know the Bristol courts, the local custody suites and the surrounding magistrates.

mid 1800s
The Bobbetts Brothers establish the firm in Bristol, committed to affordable and accessible legal services for local people.
1980s
The firm embraces Parry Mackan, the well-established Bristol practice. The Bobbetts Mackan name dates from this merger.
1999
Bobbetts Mackan (CLS) Limited incorporated at Companies House, no. 03691169, 4 January 1999.
Jan 2005
A second merger brings in Culpan Williams, broadening the criminal defence and civil family teams.
2011
Recognised body status confirmed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA no. 70535, authorised for all legal services.
2022
The no-fault divorce procedure goes live on 6 April. The family team moves to fixed fees on the new procedure.
Today
Tony Miles, Sally Mitchell and Kevin Wood as partners. Ground Floor, Griffin House, Lower Park Row, five minutes from the Bristol Crown Court on Small Street.
Bristol Crown Court on Small Street, the stone facade behind which the firm's Crown Court advocacy work is heard
Bristol Crown Court, Small Street A five-minute walk from Griffin House.
Directory and regulator
  • Legal 500Band 1, criminal defence and fraud, South West
  • Chambers and PartnersBand 1, criminal defence
  • LexcelLaw Society practice management standard
  • CQSConveyancing Quality Scheme accredited
  • SRA 70535Recognised body since 01/11/2011
  • Legal Aid AgencyContracted in family, children and criminal defence
Client voice

What clients have said, in their own words.

Mr Miles has been an extraordinary asset in assisting me in my legal matters, both him and his team worked endlessly to provide all they could in my situation, not only as a legal professional but also as a human being, he is remarkable.
Client acquitted of allegation of murder, June 2021
I have been a client of yours for something like 30 years and I think that I will be forevermore.
Feedback from a long-standing client, 2025
It is such a relief to myself and the rest of my family to avoid disqualification from driving. We thought you did a fantastic job and wouldn't hesitate to recommend you in future.
TH, Criminal Defence team, May 2018
Criminal defence, the granular detail

From a 2am police station attendance to a Crown Court trial on Small Street.

Our criminal defence work is the spine of the firm, and the detail matters. The 24-hour helpline is answered by an accredited duty solicitor, not a call centre, and a member of the criminal team will attend the relevant custody suite where attendance is required.

  • Police station attendance. Trinity Road, Patchway, the Bridewell and surrounding Avon and Somerset custody. Out of hours via the 0117 929 8987 helpline.
  • Magistrates and Crown Court advocacy. Solicitor advocates with higher rights of audience, conducting trials and appeals in-house, instructing counsel where leading or junior counsel is the right call.
  • Serious fraud. Investigations brought by police, Customs and Excise, the DTI and the Serious Fraud Office. Forensic computing support for internet-offence cases.
  • Motoring offences. Speeding, totting-up, careless and dangerous driving, exceptional hardship arguments where a licence is at risk.
  • Sexual offences. Allegations including those involving carers, teachers and other professionals, conducted with discretion and the relevant special-measures expertise.
  • Prison law. Parole, recategorisation, adjudications and tariff representations, advised by Peter Conchie as solicitor consultant.
  • Inquests. Coroners' court representation for families and interested persons.
  • Courts Martial. Service personnel before the Military Court Centre, summary hearings and elective Court Martial proceedings.
Park Row, Bristol, the legal-quarter approach to Lower Park Row from the Bristol Royal Infirmary direction
Park Row, Bristol · the approach from the BRI
Enquire

Tell us about the matter, and the relevant team will call back.

For criminal matters out of hours, ring the helpline rather than waiting for an email. For family and civil matters, the form is the quickest route to a callback the next working morning.

Office
0117 929 9001
24hr helpline
0117 929 8987
Family direct
0117 316 4922
Criminal direct
0117 316 4921
General email
info@bobbetts.com
Criminal email
defenceteam@bobbetts.com

Form submissions are not legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship until we have run the conflict and identity checks.

Visit

Ground Floor, Griffin House. Two minutes from College Green.

We are on the ground floor of Griffin House, on the corner of Lower Park Row. Walking from College Green or Park Street, drop down the steps onto Lower Park Row and the office is immediately on the right. From Bristol Crown Court on Small Street, it is a five-minute walk back up through the old city.

Address
Ground Floor, Griffin House, 15-16 Lower Park Row, Bristol BS1 5BN
Office
0117 929 9001
24hr helpline
0117 929 8987
Email
info@bobbetts.com
Fax
0117 316 4900
SRA
Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA no. 70535
VAT
137 8318 52
Hours
Mon to Fri
09:00 to 17:30, full team in the office
Saturday
Closed to walk-ins, helpline answered
Sunday
Closed to walk-ins, helpline answered
24hr helpline
Answered every hour of every day, including bank holidays
Where to find us
FAQ

The five questions we are asked most.

If the answer to your question is not here, ring the relevant direct line or send us an email and the named solicitor will reply.

Is there a solicitor I can speak to at 2am if a family member has been arrested?

Yes. The 0117 929 8987 line is the 24-hour Criminal Defence helpline. It is answered out of hours by an accredited duty solicitor who can attend Bristol-area police stations (Patchway, Trinity Road, the Bridewell) at short notice. The line is staffed every hour of every day, including weekends and bank holidays.

Do you act in Crown Court trials, or is that handed off to counsel?

Our solicitor advocates have higher rights of audience and conduct Crown Court advocacy in-house where that is the right call for the client. Where leading or junior counsel is the right call, we instruct counsel from the Bristol and Cardiff sets we have worked with for many years. Tony Miles, Steve George and James Lander run criminal trials between them, supported by Jane Griffiths and Heather Taylor on the file side.

Is legal aid available, and how do I know whether I qualify?

We are contracted to the Legal Aid Agency in criminal defence, family and children proceedings, and we run the means and merits assessment as part of taking instructions. Most police-station representation is non-means-tested, so the initial advice is available regardless of income. For magistrates and Crown Court work, eligibility depends on the offence, the income and capital position, and the interests-of-justice test.

Will I deal with the same solicitor from instruction through to trial?

For the substantive work, yes. The partner or solicitor instructed at the start runs the file to conclusion. Legal assistants Jane Griffiths and Heather Taylor handle Crown Court listing, disclosure schedules and the day-to-day administration, so the named solicitor is free for the advocacy and client conferences.

You are not online for booking. How do I make a first appointment?

Telephone is fastest. Office hours, ring 0117 929 9001 and ask for the relevant team. Out of hours and for criminal urgent work, 0117 929 8987 reaches the duty solicitor. Email info@bobbetts.com for non-urgent enquiries; defenceteam@bobbetts.com goes direct to the criminal team. The office is on the ground floor of Griffin House, on the corner of Lower Park Row, two minutes from College Green.