Fees

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Free Legal Advice

Before you commit to any fees, we urge you to take advantage of our free advice service. We can discuss your case in detail completely free of charge and hopefully the conversation will help alleviate any concerns and allow you to make a confident and informed decision about what you want to do.

Funding Your Case

If you need representation (and you can read more about that here), we at Motoring Defence Solicitors appreciate that funding your case can be a daunting and unexpected expense. With this in mind, we try to be as transparent as we can when it comes to our fee structure and how your case incurs costs.

There are various ways in which your case can be funded and we hope this page provides clarity in respect of this so you can feel confident about your case moving forward.

Insurance

If you currently pay for any insurance then we urge you to check if the policy includes “legal expenses cover” or “motor legal protection”.  If cover exists then your insurance provider may agree to cover your legal costs so please check your policy to see if it is included.

We urge you to check any insurance policies you have however we find that such protection is most often included in home and car insurance policies.  

In the event that you have the appropriate level of cover, your insurer may claim that you can only benefit from the policy if you instruct a firm from a panel selected by them. . The Insurance Companies (Legal Expenses) Act is clear and allows you to choose your own representative. We have represented numerous clients under legal expenses cover despite them having been told that they cannot instruct us.

If you think you are covered by legal expenses protection or you are unsure, then please contact us to discuss in more detail and we will be happy to help you.

Flexible Payment Plans

If you choose to instruct our motor law specialist then the usual way to fund your case is by paying privately.

You will have direct access to your lawyer via telephone and email to provide updates on your case or simply for peace of mind. We can ensure that when your case requires an expert witness or a particular barrister, we will have the freedom to instruct those best-suited to your case without the red tape that hinders legally aided cases.

Our Neil Sargeant has specialised exclusively in road traffic law since 2008. He has maintained close relationships with the country’s leading expert witnesses and barristers and prides himself on the service levels he provides to his clients.

What Does Your Quote Include?

Motor Law specialist lawyers charge a rate of £300+ VAT per hour for all time spent working on your case. Letters and telephone calls are charged out at 1/10 of the hourly rate. The total cost of your case therefore depends upon the amount of work required and the complexity of the case. Many types of case will incur “disbursements” which are effectively the cost of third parties (such as expert witnesses) who are instructed as part of your defence. 

We will provide you with an estimate of costs for your case. This estimate will be based on our experience of dealing with similar cases  over the past 10 years.

Cases relating to drugs or alcohol where you intend to defend the allegation can often last between 6 – 12 months and often require between 10 – 25 hours of work. In addition to those hours, your case may incur disbursements for Counsel to attend hearings as well as an expert witness to prepare a report and give evidence at trial as part of your defence.  The final total will likely be in the region of  £5000 – £10,000 + VAT depending on the complexity.  This estimate is for the total cost by the time your case concludes and will include the following:

  1. Your lawyer’s time for preparing the case, charged at an hourly rate;
  2. Any expert witness costs;
  3. Barristers’ fees for each hearing 
  4. Any other disbursements (eg. Fees for obtaining medical records)

This fee is not paid in one lump sum but rather in instalments whilst the case is ongoing. We require an initial payment of £1500 + VAT once you instruct us to begin representation. This is an interim payment,  held on your client-account towards the anticipated end-costs of your case. As your case proceeds, work will be conducted that will incur fees and thus funds “on account” will start to be depleted.  Once the monies in your client-account are exhausted, further payment is then required to continue preparation of your case so the system is similar to that of “pay as you go”.   

We have tried to anticipate as many eventualities as possible when estimating fees to ensure that there are no hidden costs during, or at the conclusion of your case. We will be as flexible as possible when it comes to payment and we are often able to agree payment plans to assist you. 

Each case, and its cost are unique however, so we would urge you to speak to us about the specifics of your case.

Pleading Guilty

For any case in which you want to plead guilty (including totting up), Motoring Defence Solicitors can offer representation at a fixed between £1500 – 2000 + VAT depending on the allegation. *

This level of representation includes:

  • Untimed and unlimited consultations with your lawyer for advice and support;
  • Meticulously prepared mitigation;
  • A specialist Barrister/advocate
  • Thorough advice on supporting evidence to assist mitigation
  • Thorough advice on court procedure and what you can expect on your day in court

The benefit of having a fixed/agreed fee is that we will likely do sufficiently more work than what you will be charged for.  You can rest assured that you know  costs will not escalate above the agreed fee. 

Dangerous Driving Cases (including those involving a fatality)

Dangerous driving is one of the most complex cases a motorist can face and defending the allegation can be an expensive venture depending on the amount of evidence involved. Costs are affected by the increased number of hearings required and the amount of preparation work involved. 

Our hourly rate will be applied to the work conducted in your case and the total costs are likely to be between £10’000 – £20’000 if you decide to defend your case. We strongly urge you to check your if you have any legal expenses cover which is explained above. Cases of this nature involve a low more work in order to progress them to trial which is why the estimate is significantly higher than those for drink or drug driving which are only dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court. 

If you intend to plead guilty to dangerous driving then we charge a fixed fee of £2500 + VAT

Legal Aid

Legal Aid is extremely restrictive when it comes to the preparation of road traffic cases. There is often work that is required, or expert witnesses who are needed that the Legal Agency will not provide funding for. If we are unable to instruct the relevant experts in your case it significantly reduces the chance of a successful outcome. As such, we do not  accept legally aided cases but will be more than happy to provide initial advice for you free of charge.

Other Offences u0026amp; Costs

Representation to defend other allegations such as speeding, driving without insurance etc are all charged at an hourly rate but most are usually less-complex than drug and alcohol cases so the fees will be lower. We can often agree a fixed-fee so you can be sure the costs will not escalate. Below are examples of fixed fees to defend various types of allegations.

Failing to furnish information – £3000 + VAT

Driving without Insurance – £3000 + VAT

Mobile Phone Offences – £3000 – £5000 + VAT

Speeding – £3000 – £6000 + VAT

All fees quoted included the time to prepare the case and the cost of any disbursements. Please feel free to contact us as once we know more about your case we can provide you with an estimate of costs.

 

*This quote is based on only one hearing being required which is typical for cases involving a guilty plea. If, for whatever reason, more than one hearing is required then an additional £300+ VAT is required per hearing. We do not expect guilty pleas to require more than one hearing however. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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