Motoring Offences

Many ordinarily careful drivers will find themselves charged or summonsed to appear at court for a motoring offence at some point in their lives. However, what may have been an honest mistake could cost you your licence, your livelihood, even your liberty.

Our team of expert solicitors have represented clients charged with the whole spectrum of motoring offences including causing death by dangerous and careless driving, speeding offences, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving without insurance and using a mobile telephone at the wheel. We can also assist with parking fines and tickets.

 All employed solicitors at the firm have experience in representing clients at the Magistrates Court in respect of Road Traffic matters.Acting in Road Traffic matters is an essential part of the role. Nearly all solicitors post six months qualification are duty solicitors.

We understand that the consequences of a driving ban can be serious and far-reaching for the individual concerned. As well as the risk of disqualification and imprisonment, your insurance premiums could shoot up and you may be unable to work any job which requires a driving licence.

We strive to achieve the best possible outcome for all our clients, tailoring our advice to suit your individual circumstances and aiming to minimise any negative impact on your life. Although disqualification is mandatory in some cases, in others it may be possible to argue “special reasons” in order to preserve your licence and prevent disqualification.

Legal aid is only available for most serious of road traffic offences. However, we can offer flexible and competitively priced private funding options, including fixed fees or hourly rates. For a better idea of how much your case could cost, please see our motoring offences pricing section below.

For further information from our motoring offences solicitors, call us now on 0207 790 4032 (or 07841 454 170 for out-of-hours calls). Alternatively, please email main@efbw.co.uk, or complete our online enquiry form and we will contact you for a confidential discussion about your case.

Our motoring offences solicitors’ expertise

Our motoring law expertise covers all driving offences, including:

• Speeding
• Parking tickets and fines
• Document offences, including:
  • Driving without a licence
  • Driving without insurance
  • Driving without an MOT
• Dangerous driving, including:
  • Using a hand-held phone while driving
  • Reading while driving
  • Racing
  • Ignoring traffic lights and road signs
  • Dangerous overtaking
  • Knowing the vehicle has an unsafe load or a fault
• Careless or inconsiderate driving (driving without due care and attention), including:
  • Undertaking
  • Mistakenly driving through a red light or missing road signs
  • Driving too close to other vehicles
  • Forcing other drivers to give way
  • Turning in front of another vehicle
  • Unnecessarily staying in an overtaking lane
  • Unnecessary breaking or slow driving
  • Dazzling other road users with un-dipped headlights
• Driving under the influence of drink
• Driving under the influence of drugs
• Failure to provide a specimen during a road side breathalyser test or at the police station
• Specific offence of driving while using a mobile phone
• Failing to supply information about the identity of a driver of a vehicle
• Causing injury by driving dangerously
• Causing injury by driving when disqualified
• Driving offences causing death, including:
  • Fatal collision
  • Causing death by dangerous driving
  • Causing death by careless driving
  • Causing death by careless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs
  • Wanton and furious driving
  • Causing death while driving without a licence or insurance

Road traffic law is a highly specialised and technical area and the number of prosecutions is increasing year on year. It’s therefore essential to take expert advice from a motoring law solicitor as soon as possible to defend your case on your behalf.

We will thoroughly investigate all potential defences, including ensuring that the police and the Crown Prosecution Service have acted properly in the way your case was brought to court.

Motoring offences pricing

We firmly believe in costs transparency, so we mainly offer fixed fee packages designed to give you a well-rounded and robust criminal defence service for competitive prices.

The cost of your case will heavily depend on your particular circumstances, including how may hearings are needed to resolve the case. Many motoring cases are resolved after the first hearing.

However, other drivers may require a further Special Reasons or Exceptional Hardship hearing to assess whether there are any Special Reasons for the offence or whether disqualifying you from driving or receiving a long ban will cause exceptional hardship (such as pushing you into serious financial difficulties).

Our basic fee packages for our motoring offences defence services are set out below

Fees (for non- contested hearings) 

Representation by a qualified solicitor of 0-5 years in respect of a Magistrates Court matter £600 + VAT.   This fee will include:

• Attendance with the client in advance of the hearing and taking instructions.

• Engagement with the prosecution.

• Advising on plea, preparing for the initial hearing

• Attending the hearing 

• Advising for next steps after the hearing 

Representation by a qualified Solicitor of 5 years plus to include all of the above £800 + VAT

Representation by a partner to include all of the above £1000 +VAT

This fee does not include:

• Advice or representation in relation to adjourned hearings or additional hearings in the Magistrates Court
• Disbursements (third party costs), including the cost of expert evidence, medical reports, or interpreters’ fees
• Appeals against conviction or sentencing
• Any of the other party’s costs for which you may be held liable

Special Reasons cases

If you want to argue that there were special reasons for committing a motoring offence, we will provide a quote on assessment of your case based on your individual circumstances.

Contested Hearings 

Qualified Solicitor 0-5 years - £1200 + VAT
Qualified solicitor 5 years plus - £1400 + VAT
Partner - £1600 + VAT

In some road traffic cases it is necessary to obtain expert evidence which is a disbursement in addition to the fixed fee listed above. . The cost of which can vary substantially, but we will include any likely disbursement costs in our full quote.

In some road traffic cases we instruct counsel but this does not alter the fixed fee quoted above.

Each case is unique and on occasion it will be necessary to quote outside the above schedule if for example, a case has a unique or complex aspect which requires substantial additional work. This would take the case outside our fixed fee schedule. 

Bespoke fee quotes

As well as our basic fee packages, we can also provide an enhanced bespoke service especially for you, if you would prefer.

We will examine the particulars of your case and your personal circumstances in detail and tailor a fee quote according to your individual needs. For further information about our enhanced bespoke service, just give us a call on 0207 790 4032 or email us at main@efbw.co.uk.

As part of this service, our partners can provide specialist advice and representation and we also enjoy close relationships with experienced barristers who can defend your case at trial if necessary. If you require or desire the assistance of a partner or counsel, we can provide a quote on request.

All private quotes depend on the individual circumstances of your case, including the evidence available, the number of witnesses, and whether any experts need to be instructed.

Unfortunately, criminal legal aid is only available for the most serious motoring law offences, however, please get in touch to discuss your potential eligibility. 

Why choose our motoring offences solicitors in London?

We are one of the leading criminal law firms in the country, having been ranked highly by Chambers and Partners and Legal 500

Many of our team are considered leaders in their areas and we are accredited by the Law Society in Criminal Litigation for our skills representing clients through every stage of the criminal justice system.

Our team includes duty solicitors qualified in Police Representation and Higher Court Advocates, meaning we can support and guide you from the moment an allegation is made against you to the final resolution, including protecting your rights at police interviews and dynamically representing you in court.

Get in touch with our motoring offences solicitors in London

Call us now on 0207 790 4032 (or 07841 454 170 for out-of-hours calls). Alternatively, please email main@efbw.co.uk, or complete our online enquiry form and we will contact you for a confidential discussion about your case.