Summary Table
| Type of case | Fixed Fee | Estimate at hourly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 – Guilty Plea – Single Justice Procedure | £525 plus £105 VAT | £262.50 – £420 plus 20% VAT |
| Category 2 – Guilty Plea in the Magistrates’ Court | £1,050 plus £210 VAT | £787.50 – £945 plus 20% VAT |
| Category 3 – Guilty Plea in the Crown Court | £2,100 plus £420 VAT | £1,260 – £1,995 plus 20% VAT |
| Category 4 – Not Guilty Pleas | on request | £1,575 – £,4,725 plus 20% VAT |
Category 1 cases
Category 1 cases are those where you are eligible and choose to be dealt with through the entry of a guilty plea under the “single justice procedure”. Under this procedure you will be required to submit information in writing but it will not be necessary for there to be a court hearing.
Estimated charge at applicable hourly rates: £262.50 to £420 plus 20% VAT.
Fixed fee option: £525 plus £105 VAT.
Category 2 cases
Category 2 cases are those in which you enter a guilty plea and your case is dealt with in the Magistrates Court at a sentencing hearing. Usually, you will be required to attend with us at a hearing. Sometimes we will be able to deal with the hearing in your absence.
Estimated charge at applicable hourly rates: £787.50 to £945 plus 20% VAT and travel costs where applicable.
Fixed fee option: £1,050 plus £210 VAT and travel costs where applicable.
Category 3 cases
Category 3 cases are those in which you enter a Guilty plea in the Crown Court. They involve more serious offences and sometimes there is a risk of imprisonment.
Estimated charge at applicable hourly rates: £1,260 to £1,995 plus 20% VAT and travel costs where applicable.
Fixed fee option: £2,100 plus £420 VAT and travel costs where applicable.
Category 4 cases
Category 4 cases are those in which you enter a Not Guilty plea either in the Magistrates’ or in the Crown Court. They involve more serious offences and sometimes there is a risk of imprisonment. It is very difficult to estimate the cost of these cases without knowing more about them.
Estimated charge at applicable hourly rates: £1,575 to £4,725 plus 20% VAT and travel costs where applicable.
Fixed fee option available on request in appropriate cases.
Additional hearings
Occasionally, it is not possible for a case to be concluded at the first hearing. Where that is the case, we will charge an additional sum for attendance at subsequent hearings. This sum will be calculated at the applicable hourly rate or, if you prefer, we will apply a fixed fee of £525.00 in the Magistrates’ Court and £787.50 in the Crown Court.
Travel and disbursements
We do not charge for travel to courts in South East Wales. Outside that area, we charge for travel at the rate of £80 per hour. Where it is more cost effective, we will, subject to your agreement, instruct a local agent to attend with you at courts outside South East Wales.
Legal Aid
We do not undertake legal aid work. Usually, legal aid is not available for motoring offences. In some cases, where there is a real risk of imprisonment, you may be eligible for legal aid. In the event that you wish to take up legal aid we will refer you to one of our partner firms within our the Legal Connect Wales or Legal Connect London networks.
Scope of work
The fees set out above include:
Category 1 cases
- obtaining and considering the prosecution evidence
- considering your evidence
- providing advice in relation to plea and likely sentence
- advising on whether the single justice procedure is appropriate
- working with you to collate and submit written representations and means information to the court
- advising you on the appropriateness of the sentence imposed and whether an appeal is advisable
Category 2 and 3 cases
- obtaining and considering the prosecution evidence
- considering your evidence
- providing advice in relation to plea and likely sentence
- advising where appropriate on whether an exceptional hardship, or special reasons argument should be made
- working with you to collate written representations and means information for presentation to the court
- representation at court
- advising you on the appropriateness of the sentence imposed and whether an appeal is advisable
Details of lawyers who may work on the matter
| Lawyer | Qualification | Experience | Work undertaken | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leah Ellison | Solicitor | Leah qualified as a Solicitor in September 2021 and has worked in the Regulatory Department since that time. She has gained experience of representing clients across the range of motoring law matters. | Leah deals with all categories of case | £230 plus 20% VAT |
| Justin Davies | Solicitor (Senior Associate) | Justin is a solicitor with more than fourteen years’ post-qualification experience. He conducts advocacy on a nearly daily basis. He holds higher court advocacy rights and is qualified to conduct trials through the medium of the Welsh language.
He is the lead trainer for the Driver and Vehicle Services Agency |
Justin deals with all categories of case | £270 plus 20% VAT |
| Martin Jones | Solicitor (Partner) | Martin Jones is a partner and the head of the Regulatory Department. He has more than 25 years’ post qualification experience. he has dealt with motoring law throughout that period. | Martin deals with all categories of the case | £315 plus 20% VAT |
Details of supervisors
Martin Jones undertakes supervision of matters conducted by our other lawyers. Justin Davies also undertakes supervision of matters undertaken by Leah Ellison.
Timescales
In motoring offence cases, the length of the case is dictated by the court.
If you enter a Guilty plea and the case is dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court, the case will usually be dealt with in about six weeks. Guilty plea cases in the Crown Court often take ten weeks.
The time occupied by Not Guilty plea cases varies so widely that it is not possible to estimate very accurately but a timetable will be set by the court at an early stage.
Disbursements
It is not usually necessary for us to pay any money to third-parties. In exceptional cases, we may advise you to obtain evidence from an expert witness (such as a road accident investigator). In these cases, we will consult you in relation to the proposed expert’s fees before entering into any obligation to pay them.