Motoring and Road Traffic Law

If you have been arrested or summonsed for a motoring or road traffic offence, our experienced lawyers will provide expert legal advice and representation to help you achieve the best possible outcome. This may involve persuading the court not to disqualify or endorse penalty points or to impose a more lenient sentence

Nationwide Assistance

Our motoring offence team has extensive experience of defending those facing charges for all types of offences including those faced with the most serious driving offences, such as causing death by dangerous driving to more minor offences. The range of motoring offences we can assist with is vast, but most cases fall within one or more of the following:

Speeding
Driving while using a mobile phone
No insurance
Dangerous driving
Careless driving
Exceptional hardship / Totting up
Special reasons
Driving under the influence of alcohol
Driving under the influence of drugs
Failing to stop or report an accident
Failing to produce driver details

Clear costs information for summary only offences.

We understand the importance of being up front when it comes to costs. We want our clients to feel that they have received clear information about how much they can expect to pay from the outset of their case so there are no ‘nasty surprises’ down the line. We have set out below our fixed fees for ‘summary only’ road traffic offences and motoring offences. These are those offences that can only be dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court. In practice, this covers most motoring offences other than more serious cases such as causing death by dangerous driving (for example).

Fixed Fees for Guilty Plea

For advice and representation at the Magistrates’ Court – a single hearing guilty plea:

· Our fees: £1000

· VAT on above at 20%: £200

· Total costs: £1200

This includes up to two hours of preparation work, a meeting with you, and attendance at court for no more than half a day by an experienced lawyer.

Fixed Fees for Not Guilty Plea

For advice and representation at the Magistrates’ Court – single hearing not guilty plea:

· Our fees: £1800

· VAT on above at 20%: £360

· Total costs: £2160

This includes up to four hours of preparation work, representation at trial, and discussions on the outcome.

Additional charges apply for travel outside Leicester.

Fixed Fees for Advice Only

For advice only in connection with a ‘summary only’ motoring offence (not including representation at court):

· Our fees: £500

· VAT on above at 20%: £100

· Total costs: £600

This includes up to one hour’s attendance on you, either in person or remotely, for advice about plea or sentence.

Additional charges may apply for extended services.

Additional Expenses (‘Disbursements’)

Disbursements, such as counsels’ fees and experts’ fees, are not included in our legal fees. The cost of disbursements varies depending on the case.

For detailed information on disbursements, please contact us.

The fixed fees set out above apply to cases dealt with by Leicester Magistrates’ Court. If your case is at a different court, please bear in mind that additional costs for travel will be payable. These costs are generally based on a charge rate of £300 plus VAT per hour but, because we know that many clients prefer to know the exact amount that they will have to pay for their case from the outset, we will be happy to agree a fixed travel fee.

VAT Information

VAT is charged on our costs at 20%. Barristers or experts may also charge VAT on their fees, depending on whether they are VAT registered.

For any further enquiries or to discuss your specific case, please get in touch with us. We provide comprehensive legal advice and representation that will be tailored to your situation

Key Stages and Time Estimates

For 'summary only' guilty plea motoring offence cases, key stages involve:

1. Meeting to gather instructions

2. Initial disclosure and evidence review

3. Arranging witness statements

4. Explaining court procedures and sentencing options

5. Further preparatory work and answering queries

6. Attendance at court for half a day

7. Discussion on the outcome

Time estimates can vary significantly depending of the location of the court and the nature of the charge. For cases dealt with by Leicester Magistrates’ Court, on average the proceedings will take between two to four weeks. If the court adjourns the case for trial, the proceedings will generally take three or six months. Other issues can affect the length of the case such as the availability of expert or other witnesses.