Transparency Rules – Motoring offences - Williamsons Solicitors Skip to main content

Transparency Rules – Motoring offences

If your case is a road traffic matter, then please be assured that whoever you may speak to in the team has the appropriate knowledge and skill to provide you with the advice you need in cases of this nature.

The department has over 30 years’ experience in dealing with matters of this nature and over the years, it has dealt with hundreds of such cases in many Courts around the country. In addition to this specialism in road traffic matters, we are frequently instructed in regulatory work which involves defending individuals, businesses and companies in investigations and prosecutions brought against them by a whole host of government agencies such as HMRC, HSE, DEFRA, the Environment Agency and Local Authorities. Our pricing structure for road traffic matters is as follows:- We offer a fixed fee of £595 plus VAT @ 20% (£714) for speeding offences which result in an attendance at Court to argue exceptional hardship for not being disqualified from driving. This arises where a driver has accumulated 12 penalty points over a 3 year period. There may also be a risk of a discretionary disqualification in the event of a high speed speeder, which has been referred to a Court hearing . You may be subject to the new Driver provisions and want to try and argue against revocation of your licence . This fixed price scheme is offered for offences in our local Court which is the Kingston upon Hull Magistrates’ Court. All road traffic offences committed within the East Riding area and some committed in North East Lincs are dealt with centrally at the Hull Magistrates’ Court. The fixed price scheme covers:-

  • The consideration of evidence.
  • Providing advice in relation to the plea and likely sentence and the options available to the Court in relation to sentencing.
  • Advice regarding your exceptional hardship or special reasons argument.
  • Preparation of that argument and representation at a single hearing.

It also includes advice on the Single Justice Procedure which is the procedure your case is likely to go through before reaching a final hearing. If your case is to be contested and is to be dealt with by way of a trial then the fixed fee does not apply. In those circumstances we will quote a price to you based on hourly rates (see below) and the time we estimate the case will take to bring to a conclusion. Those hourly rates are as follows:-

  • The Senior Solicitors and Consultant Solicitor (see our staff here) – £200 per hour plus VAT @ 20%
  • The Accredited Representatives (see our staff here) – £146 per hour plus VAT @ 20%
  • Our Crown Court Representatives (see our staff here) – £111 per hours plus VAT @ 20%

Please note that routine letters and telephone calls are charged out at one tenth of the relevant hourly rate and non-routine letters and telephone calls are charged out on a time basis. We also offer a fixed price fee of £595 plus VAT @ 20% (£714) for drink/drug driving offences where there is to be a guilty plea. This fee will include attendance and preparation, consideration of the evidence, taking your instructions, providing advice on the likely sentence and attendance and representation at a single hearing in the Magistrates’ Court. Again, this fixed fee is available for people who are appearing in our local Court, the Kingston upon Hull Magistrates’ Court. In all other cases of speeding and drink driving where cases are heard in outlying Courts, we will be happy to provide you with a quotation based on the fixed fee as above but with an enhancement to take into account of the additional travelling time and mileage expenses (claimed at 45p per mile). The fixed fees do not include:-

  • Taking statements from any witnesses.
  • Advice and assistance in relation to special reasons hearings.
  • Advice and assistance in relation to any appeal.

Disbursements

  • Mileage to any out of area court centres (claimed at 45p a mile)
  • Instruction of expert witnesses

Further helpful information. The key stages of your matter are based on the presumption that you are entering a guilty plea and have a date for your hearing. The key stages are that:-

  • You will meet with your Solicitor/Representative to provide instructions on what happened which can be a face to face consultation or by telephone.
  • We will consider initial disclosure and any other evidence and provide advice.
  • We will arrange to take any witness statements if necessary (this however will have an additional cost based on the above hourly rates).
  • We will explain the Court procedure to you so that 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 may have.
  • We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place as this depends upon Court listing on the particular day.
  • We will attend Court on the day and meet with you before going before the Court. We anticipate that you will be at Court for a maximum 2 hours but please note this very much depends on the Court listing for that particular day.
  • We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal this carry will an additional cost based on the above hourly rates.