LEGAL FEES FOR MOTORING OFFENCES

 Common Motoring Offences are careless driving, drink/drug driving and speeding. Our fees for dealing with motoring offences vary on the nature of the offence, the plea being entered, and the number of hearings involved on private client basis only.

 

In some areas, we can act on legal aid, which means that the cost of your case is wholly or partly paid for from public funds. Legal aid is only available to those with limited means and with the approval of the Legal Aid Agency (the government body which runs the scheme). However, different rules apply for criminal cases, inquests, child abduction and care cases. Your solicitor will explain how the Legal Aid schemes work and whether you are eligible.
 

Legal Fees and Disbursements

 

Legal Fees are the amount you will be required to pay for all of the work performed by us in actioning your instructions, from commencement of your case to conclusion. VAT will be payable on our fees and some disbursements, currently 20% and we will clearly confirm which disbursements carry VAT in our formal quotation or as we advise you to incur them. Value Added Tax (VAT) is required to be added to our fees and all disbursements unless you are exempt.
 

Given that each case falls on its facts, we agree fixed fees for the common criminal offences once the facts are ascertained as follows:

 

  • The firm offers an initial consultation free of charge for 15 minutes and thereafter at a cost of £75 – £100 + VAT (£90 – £120 Inc. VAT) with the Senior Partner to establish the facts of the individual case and give an indication of the costs that may be incurred so that the client is aware of the cost upfront.
  • If a Guilty Plea is entered, our fees for representing in Court will be between £950 – £1,500 + VAT (£1,140 – £1,800 Inc. VAT) provided the sentencing is dealt with in one hearing. Should the sentencing hearing be dealt with in a separate hearing, then further cost of £950.00 to £1,000 + VAT (£1,140 to £1,200 Inc. VAT) will be charged.

 

We are able to put forward the necessary representations at the Court for mitigations to minimise the penalty which the court imposes. This is essential in cases where the client already has significant points on their license and wishes to avoid disqualification.

 

  • If a Not Guilty Plea is entered, then our fee will be £1,500 – £2,500 + VAT (£1,800 – £3,000 Inc. VAT) dependent on the length of the trial, sentencing and preparation time.
  • Review and collection of evidence – £500 – £1,000 + VAT. (£600 – £1,200 Inc. VAT) The level and amount of evidence will dictate the final fee that we will charge within the range.
  • Drafting mitigation statement – £750 – £950 + VAT (£900 – £1,200 Inc. VAT). The complexity of the matter and the time taken to draft the statement will dictate the final fee we will charge within the range.
  • Instructions to counsel and compiling bundle – £750 – £900 + VAT (£900 – £1,200 Inc. VAT). The complexity of the matter and the time taken to draft the instructions to counsel and prepare the bundle or paper will dictate the final fee we will charge within the range.
  • Should your instructions require us to take your matter out of the fixed fee rate (see below for what our fixed fee covers) Our hourly rates range between £175 – £300 + VAT (£210 – £360 Inc. VAT) or for outside of office hours range between £225 – £450 (£270 – £540 Inc. VAT) which will depend on the experience and qualification of the case handler as follows:

 

 

Position

Rate per hour (£)

Solicitor/ Director

£373 + VAT (£448 Inc. VAT)

Solicitor

£244 + VAT (£293 Inc. VAT)

Caseworker / Trainee Solicitor

£139 + VAT (£167 Inc. VAT)

 

 

If at any stage our fees change, we will notify you and discuss the reason for any changes. This would typically occur if you change your instructions or your case involves an unforeseen complexity.

 

The fixed fee costs above do not include additional disbursements such as barristers or experts fees.

 

Each case is dependent on its own circumstances and facts, and once we have established the facts of your individual case, we will ensure you are informed of any additional costs that may be incurred so that you are aware of the cost upfront.

 

Our average fees assume that:

  1. The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complications arise.
  2. All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from any parties providing documentation.

 

Our Legal Fee include:

 

  • General attendance/preparation
  • Reviewing and considering evidence
  • Taking your instructions
  • Providing advice on likely sentence
  • Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court

 

Our Legal Fee does not include:

 

  • Instruction of any expert witnesses
  • Taking statements from any witnesses
  • Advice and assistance in relation to a special reasons hearing
  • Advice or assistance in relation to any appeal
  • Contesting a driving prosecution
  • Representation at Crown Court

 

Disbursements

 

Disbursements may be incurred in the handling of the matter for you. For motoring offences these will typically be:

 

  • Counsel’s fees to provide advice or represent you at a hearing. If Counsel is required to be instructed a quotation for their services will be obtained from them and discussed with you before they are instructed to ensure you are fully aware of the fees that will be charged.

 

  • The fees of a barrister vary depending on the experience of the advocate and their expertise. In our experience, the initial fee for a barrister and the first day of the hearing (known as the brief fee) will be in the region of £750 – £4,000 plus VAT (£900 – £5,000 Inc. VAT). Each subsequent day would be an additional £1,000 – £1,500 plus VAT (£1,200.00 – £1,800 Inc. VAT).

 

  • If you want a very experienced barrister, then the cost is likely to be more. You may also incur additional charges such as travel costs for us to attend meetings and hearings.

 

  • Medical report fees/ other experts fees (if applicable) – on occasion an expert report may be required in our experience a cost of these reports range from £1,000 – £4,000 + VAT (£1,200 – £5,000 Inc. VAT)

 

Stages of the Process

 

The precise stages involved may vary according to the circumstances of your matter.

 

The key stages are based on the presumption that you have entered a guilty plea and have a date for your hearing and are as follows: –

 

  • Meet with your solicitor to provide instructions on what happened.
  • We will consider initial disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice.
  • Arranging to take any witness statements if necessary (as noted, this will carry an additional cost on an hourly basis, and we will advise you of the full charge when we have identified the number of type of witnesses and who will take the statement(s).
  • We will explain the court procedure to you, so you know what to expect on the day of your hearing, and the sentencing options available to the court.
  • We will conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow-up queries you have.
  • We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
  • We will attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court. We anticipate being at court for half a day.
  • We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.

 

Timescales

 

If the whole case can be dealt with in a single hearing, then under these circumstances a whole case is typically completed within six months from the date of the offence. However, as each case is different we are unable to list precise timescales as the progress of your matter is dependent on external factors such as the Magistrate’s Court and hearing dates.

 

We will however advise you of estimated time scales when we have the details of your matter.

 

Why choose our motoring offence solicitors?

If you have had to head to the police station, or court, for a motoring offence, it is absolutely vital that you receive the right legal advice and support for specialist motoring offence solicitors at the earliest opportunity.

While you can use a duty solicitor in these situations, they may lack the specialist expertise required to support your case.

Our dedicated solicitors have over 9 years of experience in a variety of motoring offences and use this to provide expert advice and representation to give you the best chance of securing a positive outcome for your case.

Director, Altin Kaprata LLB (Hons) is the founder of AG Law Solicitors. He is the driving force of the firm and thrives in dealing with complex cases. He has over 9 years of experience in a broad spectrum including all types of driving prosecutions in addition to other Criminal offences. Altin has the higher rights of audience and can represent clients in the Magistrates Court, Crown Court, High Court, and Appeal Courts. His strength is to take on board key details and find a speedy resolution. His extensive knowledge and experience in Criminal law ensure that clients can expect to receive the highest level of service. Altin has built a reputation and gained respect for being honest and being able to explain complex issues and procedures in simple terms.

 

Zyliha Shkembi LLB (Hons) is a Caseworker. She joined AG LAW Solicitors in July 2019. Zyliha is supervised by the Director, Altin Kaprata. Zyliha has become an integral part of the Criminal Department and assists the Solicitors in all aspects of these cases. She has gained considerable experience in dealing with Motoring and Non-motoring offences. She thoroughly enjoys the client contact aspect of Private Client work.