Motoring Offences Pricing

Motoring Offences can be the some of the most complex offences regardless their perceived simplicity.

Further, the loss of a driving licence can understandably have disastrous effects on an individual, their business, their family etc.
Some of the most common offences include:

• Driving with Excess Alcohol (Drink Driving)
• Failing to Provide a Specimen.
• Using a Motor Vehicle with no Insurance
• Speeding
• Driving whilst Disqualified
• Driving without Due Care and Attention
• Failing to Stop/Report

Pricing

Our fees for dealing with motoring offences can vary depending on whether the plea is Guilty or Not Guilty and the number of hearings involved. We will need to obtain all the facts and details of your personal circumstances and will liaise with the Court and the CPS in advance and on the day of any hearing.

We offer both fixed fees and hourly rates, whereby you will be charged for each hour of work undertaken. Our hourly rate will differ depending on the experience of the fee earner dealing with your case.

Value Added Tax (VAT)

VAT @20% has to be added to our fees and some disbursements.

Examples of our fixed fee charges are detailed below:

Fixed Fee Initial Advice

– £100 +VAT @20% (£20) (total £120)

This fee covers a consultation for up to 1 hour to discuss your motoring matter with one of our Solicitors.

Road Traffic Offences dealt with at a single hearing at the Magistrates’ Court

– For matters that can only be dealt with at the Magistrates’ Court and are dealt with at a single hearing our fees range from £500 +VAT @20% (£100) (total £600) to £1,500 +VAT @20% (£300) (total £1,800)

Services included in this quoted fee:

• Meeting with your Solicitor to provide instructions
• Considering disclosure – reviewing the initial disclosure and evidence provided
• Providing you with advice on the available evidence and in relation to your plea and likely sentence
• Where relevant, discussing with you whether there may be exceptional circumstances, or a special reasons argument to be made to the Court
• Explaining the Court process to you, so you are fully aware of what to expect on the day of your hearing
• Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court
• Confirming the outcome of the Court hearing with you and advising on next steps and any additional costs

We will provide price information on any additional services, such as sourcing expert witnesses or advising on an appeal as appropriate.

Exclusions

Our fees are fixed and include the items detailed above, however there may be factors which would typically increase the cost of the fees involved in your case. Where there is likely to be any additional cost, we will make sure you are informed of this at the earliest opportunity and a clear estimate of those extra costs will be provided.

Services not included in our fee

If you plead not guilty or there are any circumstances that mean your matter is adjourned, for example your matter is adjourned for trial, this will not be included in the fixed fee. The fixed fee will not include the following services:

• Preparation for trial and representation at trial
• Instruction of any expert witnesses
• Taking statements from any witnesses
• Advice and assistance in relation to a special reasons hearing
• Advice and Assistance in relation to an exceptional hardship hearing
• Any additional hearings
• If you are unhappy with the outcome, the cost of challenging a decision or considering your options on appeal
• Hearing before the Crown Court
• Attendance at a Court outside the Leicestershire area

Expenses and Disbursements not included in the fee quoted

• Instructing Counsel (starting from £800 +VAT @20% (£160) (total £960))
• Interpreters’ fees (starting from £25 + VAT @20% (£2.50) per hour)
• Translation of documents (as above)
• Instruction of any expert witnesses. Each case is assessed on it’s own merits and whilst it is not possible to list every type of expert report that may be required for your case examples of reports that may be needed are:
• Back calculation report (starting from £500 plus VAT @20% (£100) (total £600))
• Medical Report e.g. letter from your GP or consultant (starting from £100 +VAT @ 20% (£20) (total £120))
• Psychiatric Report (starting from £1200 +VAT @ 20% (£240) (total £1440))
• Psychological report (starting from £1200 +VAT @ 20% (£240) (total £1440))
• Accident re-construction (Starting from £1000 +VAT @ 20% (£200) (total £1200))
• Toxicology Report (starting from £500 +VAT @ 20% (£100) (total £600))

Costs vary according to your individual circumstances. We will always obtain a quote from the third party and agree the fee with you before commissioning any report. Normally VAT is payable on third party fees.

Key stages

The Key Stages will depend on the particular circumstances of your case. On the basis that you have a date set for your hearing, that you will be entering a guilty plea and that the matter will be dealt with and conclude at that hearing key stages will include:

• Meeting with your Solicitor to provide instructions
• Considering disclosure – reviewing the initial disclosure and evidence provided
• Providing you with advice on the available evidence and in relation to your plea and likely sentence
• Explaining the court process to you, so you are fully aware of what to expect on the day or your hearing
• Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court
• Confirming the outcome of the court hearing with you and advising on next steps and any additional costs

Time Scales

We are not always able to provide timescales of when your hearing will take place as this will depend on the complexity of the matter and court listings. For cases that can only be dealt with at the Magistrates Court, the whole case is usually completed within 6 months of the date of the offence. However, each case is different and we cannot provide a precise timescale of how long each key stage will take or when hearings will take place. We will make every effort to keep you up-to-date on any issues affecting the time it will take to deal with your case. We should be able to give you a more accurate idea of timescales when we have more details about your case.