Local Specialists

We have a specialist team, headed by Mark Troman, dedicated to providing advice on road traffic law. Our solicitors live in London and the south-east of England and have a good knowledge of the local road traffic conditions. As a firm, we are well established and respected within the criminal justice system; perfectly placed to influence proceedings in your favour.

Do you need our help?

The sheer number of motoring offences and the technical sentencing framework make it difficult for members of the public to understand their legal position and potential liabilities. We can provide clear and accurate advice to help you make the right decisions.

If you are at risk of incurring penalty points, reaching a 12-point ‘totting disqualification’ or even an immediate disqualification, we can help discuss ways of avoiding this; either by establishing innocence, negotiating with the prosecution or by persuading the sentencing court to show leniency.

Why us?

Other road traffic specialists charge eye-watering fees on the back of outlandish promises and a glossy image. We aim to be different and to always give clear and practical advice. If we do not think your circumstances require the cost of a lawyer we will tell you. If you instruct us to act on a private basis, we offer fixed fees, agreed up front. We keep our prices competitive, aiming to serve the working people of our community.

Most road traffic offences do not attract legal aid, but as a firm with a long tradition of providing legal advice to people of all backgrounds and circumstances, if you could qualify for legal aid, we will help you apply and represent you on those terms.

Types of service

— Defending people at trial accused of offences such as (non-definitive list):

• Failing to nominate the driver of a vehicle suspected of an offence
• Failing to stop at the scene of an accident
• Careless and dangerous driving
• Driving offences that lead to death
• Drink driving offences (including drunk in charge, failing to provide a
  breath specimen)
• Using a mobile phone while driving
• Driving without insurance or not according to a licence
• Speeding
• Perverting the course of Justice by returning a false name to a driver enquiry

— Mounting a ‘special reasons’ defence to avoid a disqualification or mandatory penalty points.  This type of service follows a guilty plea but in which the defence must prove there are mitigating facts which justify a lenient sentence.

— Arguing exception hardship for defendants facing a 12-point ‘totting’ disqualification. This involves calling evidence to show why the defendant should not be banned from driving

— Applications for removal of disqualification for those with bans of more than 2 years.

Fees & Funding

Below is a list of indicative fixed fee prices we offer for regular case types. The applicable rate of VAT is currently 20%.  For more complex case types we may offer to work only at an hourly rate:

1. Standard guilty plea cases: This includes advice on the papers, a meeting in advance and advocacy at one hearing to support a plea in mitigation after a guilty plea – £550.00 plus 20% VAT. We would advise on the merits of an appeal, but the fee does not include the conduct of an appeal.

2. Exceptional hardship guilty plea cases: This includes advice on the papers, a meeting in advance and advocacy at one hearing to support a plea in mitigation asserting exceptional hardship– £650.00 plus 20% VAT. We would advise on the merits of an appeal, but the fee does not include the conduct of an appeal.

3. Contested Cases (trials, contested facts at sentence and special reasons pleas): This includes advice on all papers, all necessary litigation, all necessary meetings with you or witnesses, advocacy at the first trial hearing – £1,200.00 plus 20% VAT. We would advise on the merits of an appeal, but the fee does not include the conduct of an appeal.

4. Statutory declarations to quash convictions in absence – £200.00 plus 20% VAT on papers, £300.00 plus 20% VAT if attending a hearing. This includes meeting with you to take instructions, draft the application and serving it.

Second hearings: the vast majority of guilty plea cases (1&2 above) complete with one hearing.  If a second hearing is needed an additional fee of £300.00 plus 20% VAT will be incurred.  The Contested Cases fixed fee includes advocacy at the first trial listing. Adjourned or vacated trials would incur additional charges, typically fixed at £250.00 – £500.00 plus 20% VAT. The trial fixed fee is incurred when a case is listed for trial and applies to matters when the trial does not go ahead because, for example, the prosecution withdraw / collapse, or a client changes their mind. 

Fixed fee or hourly rate case? More complex cases are best suited to an hourly rate billing arrangement.  We will provide an estimate of costs prior to you agreeing to engage us. One reason we might not offer a fixed fee is the need to instruct an expert witness.  Expert witnesses are occasionally required and would be charged as a disbursement.  While it is not possible to outline all types, toxicology reports (in drink and drug driving cases) cost in the region of £400.00 – £1,000.00 plus 20% VAT and crash scene investigator’s reports are in the region of £2,000.00 plus 20% VAT. 

In fixed fee work the cost of your advocate is included, whether you are represented by a solicitor advocate or barrister.  In hourly rate cases you may be advised that instructing a barrister is in your best interests and they would be charged as a disbursement, the rate of which would be quoted in advance.  A junior barrister typically costs between £300.00 and £2,000.00 plus 20% VAT depending on the type of hearing and level of experience.

 A first call for advice is always free of charge with no obligation. We are happy to discuss any questions you might have about our fees then. 

We request payments on account but are willing to accept instalments in the build up to the final hearing. You can discuss any such arrangements with the Solicitor who has conduct of your case. 

Help Yourself

You might find your situation does not justify instructing a lawyer and if so we will not try to convince you otherwise.

That’s why submitting the form below or simply calling 020 7604 5600 provides a quick and easy way of making the right decision at an early stage.

If you want to do your own research before you decide, why not look into some of the following useful resources:

Punishments

https://www.gov.uk/highway-code-penalties/penalty-table

Penalty Points and Disqualification System

https://www.gov.uk/highway-code-penalties/penalty-points-and-disqualification

Charged With Careless Driving Offences 

https://www.gov.uk/highway-code