We can represent and advise you on all types of road traffic offences.
Legal Aid isn’t typically available for motoring offences dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court, but we’re happy to discuss this further on a case-by-case basis.
Our Legal Fees
We charge based on an hourly rate which varies depending on which expert you work with. Our lowest hourly rate is £250, and our highest hourly rate is £625. The seniority of the lawyer handling your case will depend on its complexity. We’ll discuss this with you when you instruct us.
Please note that VAT is chargeable on our fees at 20%. Your initial consultation with our team will be free of charge, but if you choose us to represent you, our charges will be as follows:
Your first hearing
If you’ve received a court summons due to a motoring offence, our professional fees for your first hearing will start from £1,250 plus VAT. You’ll also need to pay the fee for a junior barrister, who we’ll organise to represent you in court. The fees for a junior barrister will be around £350 plus VAT and travel expenses.
If you plead Guilty and wish to put forward an argument of exceptional hardship or Special Reasons at your first hearing:
If you plead Guilty with Special Reasons at your first hearing, further charges will apply. Your first hearing will be adjourned, and a court date will be fixed for a Special Reasons hearing.
Our fee estimate for legal work and representation for the Special Reasons hearing will be around £2,000 to £4,000 plus VAT. Our charges will depend on the circumstances of your case and what evidence we’ll need to prepare.
Barrister fees will also be payable alongside any other disbursements – for example, the cost of an expert’s report.
Trial Fees
If you plead Not Guilty at your first hearing, further charges will apply. Our fee estimate for trial preparation will be around £4,000-£6,000 plus VAT.
Trial barrister fees will also be payable alongside any other disbursements – for example, the cost of an expert’s report.
Each case is unique, and we can provide a tailored estimate for you after discussing your case.
The cost for a case will largely depend on:
- The number of court appearances needed
- The amount of legal work needed to prepare for each hearing
- The experience level of the lawyer(s) who represent your case at court.
Our fees will increase in longer cases that involve additional work and several hearings.
Pricing for Speeding and other Single Justice Procedure offences
If you plead Guilty and wish to confirm mitigation in writing:
Our work in advising you and drafting and submitting written mitigation to the court on your behalf will cost about £950 plus VAT.
If you plead Guilty and choose to attend court:
Our work will involve:
- Advising you
- Confirming your plea to the court
- Preparing the necessary evidence to support your case
- Preparing for your court hearing, including preparing an argument of exceptional hardship.
We’ll also arrange for you to be represented at court. Our fee estimate for this work will be around £1,500 to £3,000 plus VAT.
Barrister fees will also be payable alongside any other disbursements – for example, the cost of an expert’s report.
If you plead Not Guilty:
Our work will involve:
- Advising you
- Confirming your plea to the court
- Preparing the necessary evidence to support your case
- Preparing for your court hearing.
We’ll also arrange for you to be represented at court. Our fee estimate for this work will be around £4,000 to £6,000 plus VAT.
Barrister fees will also be payable alongside any other disbursements – for example, the cost of an expert’s report.
Pricing for applications to reduce driving disqualification
For legal work and representation for an application to the court to reduce your driving disqualification, our charges will be about £2,000 plus VAT and fees for a barrister. The fees for a barrister will be about £500 plus VAT and travel expenses.
Pricing for Appeals
Our work will involve collecting and reviewing all documentation related to your case and advising you on your option of appeal. We’ll draft and lodge a Notice of Appeal, prepare the necessary evidence to support your case and for your Appeal hearing. We’ll arrange for you to be represented at court. Our fee estimate for this work will be around £4,000 to £6,000 plus VAT. Each case is unique, and we can provide a tailored estimate for you after discussing your particular case.
Barrister fees will also be payable alongside any other disbursements – for example, the cost of an expert’s report.
Recovery of your Legal Costs
In criminal cases, the Defendants’ Costs Orders regime governs how non-legally aided private paying clients may recover their costs from Public Funds if acquitted.
If proceedings commenced in the Magistrates Court after 1 October 2012, they’ll be entitled to recover legal costs. But the amount will be limited to how much would be payable under specified legal aid rates. These are much lower than the how much we charge, so you’ll only be entitled to recover a small amount of the costs you incur with us.
If you instruct us to prepare and submit a claim on your behalf, you’ll need to pay an administrative fee of £250 plus VAT.
The same applies to cases in the Crown Court as of 27 January 2014, provided the private paying client can establish that they weren’t eligible for legal aid, which is subject to a financial eligibility threshold.
Legal Expenses Insurance
You may not need to pay all your defence costs yourself. It’s important that you check any existing insurance policies to see if you have any insurance that might cover your legal costs.
If you have a Legal Expenses Insurance (LEI) policy in place, then the LEI provider may contribute towards your costs.
We regularly represent clients who have the benefit of Legal Expenses Insurance, and we are instructed under the terms of legal expenses insurance policy.
Make a free enquiry
Call us now for a free discussion about your case with a member of our specialist team. If you'd rather, you can contact us online and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.