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If you face a driving ban, it makes sense to seek advice at the earliest opportunity.
The more notice your lawyers have of the case the more that can be done to help you.
The sooner you seek assistance, the more time there is to check the paperwork for technical issues and to prepare your defence.
It is not wise to assume that you can arrive at Court and meet with your representative 30–60 minutes before your hearing and that will be sufficient to win the day.
The reality is that motoring law is extensive and complicated meaning that it will take a lot longer to properly prepare a case. |
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You can represent yourself in Court but it is unlikely that you can do as good a job as a qualified barrister/lawyer that specialises in motor law.
In order to avoid a driving disqualification or challenge prosecution evidence you will need to meet specific legal criteria and be able to present your case in Court.
If your licence is on the line, it is best left to the legal experts. |
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There is no reason why you should not get a competent service from either, but motoring law has become a specialist area and it is unlikely that the duty or local solicitor will have specialist knowledge of all areas of law that they have to deal with on a day to day basis. |
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| Probably not. Legal Aid is still available for cases that have potential prison sentences but for the majority of driving offences, the Defendant has to fund his legal costs privately. |
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| Possibly. Most insurance policies include some cover for the costs of defending a prosecution so it is always worth checking.
However, funding can often be at the discretion of the insurers and may not cover offences such as speeding.
Further, it is possible that there will be an excess, meaning that you have to pay a part of the costs or may be limited to a figure that is insufficient to cover your costs in full. |
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| The vast majority of lawyers, particularly those with High Street practices, have a "mixed bag" practice, meaning that they will offer a variety of services.
It may be that within the practice there is a particular person who specialises but you should ask them direct and should also make enquiries of their website to see what motoring information is detailed thereon.
There are specialist practices, some of which have regional operations and some are based nationwide.
Ask how many motoring cases they deal with and how many of your specific offence they have dealt with over the last few weeks.
A specialist motor practice will be running similar cases daily. |
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| This can vary greatly. Some lawyers will charge by the hour ranging from £95 to £250 per hour, whilst others will agree a fixed fee.
Bear in mind that if you are paying by the hour, and your representative or a barrister has to attend Court, you will probably have to pay for travelling and waiting time as well as travelling expenses, so wherever possible, attempt to agree a fixed fee or a budget that will not be exceeded. |
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Many firms will either give free telephone advice or free Email advice but obviously, this will be quite limited.
Useful Link:
Free Email Advice provided by Motor Lawyers ....
You can also ask to speak to a duty solicitor but there is no guarantee that a duty solicitor will have specialist motor knowledge.
Alternatively, many firms will allocate say 15–30 minutes advice for a one off fixed fee.
Useful Website:
Free fact sheets can be downloaded from Motor Lawyers ....
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