Road Traffic Offences

Road Traffic Offences Pricing

Motoring Offences (Summary only offences)

In relation to motoring offences which are dealt with summarily, in other words in the Magistrate’s Court only, we will agree a fixed fee with you in advance of preparing your case.

This provides you with transparency and certainty in relation to our costs.

The offences listed below which a summary only will be dealt with on a fixed fee basis as follows:

If you plead guilty, we will deal with the matter in the following key stages:

• meet with you face-to-face and take your instructions:
• obtain and consider all the prosecution evidence;
• advise you about motoring penalties, costs, disqualifications, bans and disbursements and sentencing options for the court;
• if necessary, prepare a mitigation statement;
• advise you about any disbursements such as instructing a barrister or an expert witness which is an additional cost;
• where appropriate, advise on whether any exceptional hardship or specific reason arguments apply:
• listen to any audio or view any visual recording if necessary;
• liaise and correspond a barrister and/or the Prosecution if necessary;
• advise you about the court procedure so you know what to expect at the hearing;
• advise you about other information that you should take to the sentence hearing;
• assist you to complete your means assessment form;
• attend the first hearing only and mitigate on your behalf to obtain a lesser sentence;
• advise you on any court provided courses, subject to an additional cost, which will reduce your driving ban;
• keep you updated with letters/emails/telephone calls:
• provide you a detailed comprehensive bill of costs.

Timescales

Due to the nature of litigation matters do not always run to a strict timetable. Also, there is a large degree of variation between Courts. As a guide, set out below are our estimates as to the likely timescale for a standard case. This does not take into account adjournments that may be required in your case. If timescale is of particular importance to you, please raise this with us so we may advise you on your individual case.

Guilty Pleas

• No Pre-Sentence Report – 1 hearing
• Where a report is required – 2 hearings within 3 to 6 weeks of each

other.

• If there is a Hardship or Special Reasons argument – 2 hearings within 3 to 6 weeks of each other

These costs are on a fixed fee basis of £850 plus VAT

Factor which may increase your costs are as follows:

• attend a sentence hearing where a Pre-Sentence report has been prepared after your first hearing;
• attend the second hearing or any subsequent hearings to deal with exceptional hardship or specific reasons arguments hearings;
• if necessary, we may need to instruct an expert witness to advise on a specific point(s) or issue(s);
• we may need to instruct a barrister if the case is complex:
• we will provide you with several quotes for you to select which barrister or expert witness you wish us to instruct on your behalf:
• if your case is committed for sentence to the Crown Court alongside other serious offences which are not summary only offences then we will need to instruct a barrister to represent you at the Crown Court.

If you plead not guilty, we will deal with the matter in the following key stages:

• meet with you face-to-face and take your instructions:
• obtain and consider all the prosecution evidence;
• prepare your proof of evidence;
• meet any of your witnesses and take witness statements;
• attend site to take photographs;
• prepare plans/maps of the incident;
• listen to any audio or view any visual recording if necessary;
• liaise and correspond with a barrister and/or the Prosecution if necessary;
• explain the court procedure to you so you know what to expect on the day of your hearing;
• attend the first pre-trial case management hearing;
• prepare your case for the trial hearing;
• prepare means assessment forms with you if necessary;
• liaise with your barrister or expert witness if instructed, this will be an additional cost;
• represent you /instruct a barrister to represent you at the trial hearing/exceptional hardship or specific reasons arguments hearings;
• if convicted then represent you at the sentence hearing which will be an additional cost:
• if necessary, instruct a barrister to represent you at the sentence hearing which will be an additional cost;
• consider an appeal against conviction and/or sentence

The above costs are on a fixed fee basis of £1250.00 plus VAT

Factors which may increase your costs are as follows:

• if we need to instruct a barrister to represent you for any of the above
• if we need to instruct an expert witness to advise on a specific point(s) or
• If you require a case conference with your barrister to discuss your case prior to the trial hearing:
• If your case is committed for sentence to the Crown Court alongside other serious offences which are not summary only offences, then we will need to instruct a barrister, to represent you further;
• to advise on an appeal against conviction and/or sentence;
• Prepare and represent you for an appeal;

If your costs are likely to exceed the fixed fee we will apply an hourly charge rate, however we will discuss this at the initial stages and provide you with a detailed summary of estimated costs prior to commencing your matter / and or during the course of your matter. Which ever may be appropriate. The hourly rates are noted below. 

Timescales

Not Guilty Pleas

• Trial in the Magistrates Court- minimum of 2 to 4 hearings over -a period of

6 to 8 months.

• If you case is sent to the Crown Court with alongside other serious offences,

then which are not summary only offences – minimum 2 hearings in the

Magistrates Courts and at least 1 pre-trial hearing in the Crown Court.

Depending on the nature of the case, trials can take in the region of 1 year

before they are heard before the Court.

Solicitors details

Our experienced Senior Criminal Law Solicitor, Miss Surinder Kainth will be your first point of contact.

The collectively have over 25 years of experience in delivering high quality work in road traffic offences and criminal law matters in general.

Surinder Kainth also speaks fluent Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu to assist you.