Solicitors in Cardiff | Criminal defence, motoring law, immigration and divorce

Scarsdale Solicitors acts for clients across Cardiff and South Wales on a fixed-fee, private-instruction basis. We handle criminal cases throughout England and Wales, and Cardiff falls squarely within our jurisdiction. If you have been charged with an offence or asked to attend a police interview at a South Wales Police station, we can represent you from the outset.

Book your free confidential consultation.

Cardiff is the busiest city in Wales for criminal court work. Cardiff Crown Court has nine courtrooms and handles the most serious criminal cases from across the region, while Cardiff Magistrates’ Court deals with the high volume of summary offences generated by a capital city of over 360,000 people. We prepare cases for both courts and advise you on what to expect at each stage.

The Principality Stadium is the single biggest driver of criminal charges in Cardiff. With a capacity of 74,500, it hosts rugby internationals, football matches, concerts and major events throughout the year. On event nights, South Wales Police deploy dedicated operations across the city centre, and the arrest rate for public order offences, assault, and drink driving spikes sharply. If you were arrested on a match day or after a concert at the stadium, you are not alone. These cases often involve CCTV from the venue or surrounding streets, and the quality of that evidence varies. We review disclosure carefully and challenge weak identification evidence where the footage is unclear or the circumstances were chaotic.

The student population adds to the caseload. Cardiff University and Cardiff Metropolitan University bring over 33,000 students into the city, concentrated in Cathays and Roath. Students charged with public order offences or common assault after nights out face real consequences for their careers and visa status. A criminal record can affect professional registration, graduate employment and immigration applications. We take those consequences seriously and advise on the full picture, not just the court outcome.

Drink driving charges in Cardiff often follow enforcement on the A48(M), the M4 corridor and the A470 heading north into the Valleys. South Wales Police run regular roadside operations, particularly after weekend events. We handle drink driving, drug driving and other motoring offences where the charge carries a risk of imprisonment or a lengthy ban. For standard motoring matters, see our motoring offences page.

Get your fixed-fee quote.

We also act for clients in Barry, Penarth, Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport. All of these areas fall within the South Wales Police area and feed into Cardiff’s courts.

Our criminal defence work covers harassment, stalking, public order offences, affray, weapons charges, assault (ABH and GBH), criminal damage, and dangerous or careless driving causing serious injury. We also attend police interviews on your behalf, whether you have been invited voluntarily or arrested. We do not handle sexual offence cases, fraud or drug offences.

We are a paid-services firm with fixed fees agreed before you instruct us. No Legal Aid, no hourly billing. A solicitor handles your case from start to finish. Our clients rate us 4.6 out of 5 from 258 Google reviews.

For a full overview of what we cover, see our criminal defence solicitors page. We also act for clients in Bristol and Swansea.