We have a duty to advise you if you are eligible for Legal Aid and can help you apply. However you are unlikely to be able to obtain legal aid for driving offences which are ‘summary only’. This means that they can only be heard in the Magistrates Court.

Examples of summary only motoring offences include:

• Driving a vehicle whilst over the prescribed limit for alcohol
• Careless driving
• Speeding
• Failing to provide a specimen of breath/blood
• Failing to stop after an accident
• Driving without insurance
• Driving other than in accordance with a licence

For offences such as these our hourly rate for a solicitor is £195 per hour plus VAT.

If your summary only motoring offence is suitable for a fixed fee, the cost would be £475 plus VAT for attendance at a single hearing to deal with a guilty plea and mitigation at a magistrates court within 30 minutes travel time of our office.

Courts more than 30 minutes away from our office will incur an additional cost for travel time and expenses (please contact us for details of specific disbursements or costs that might relate to your case).

The fixed fee arrangement is based on an estimate of approximately 3 hours total preparation, attendance and advocacy at a single court hearing.

Certain magistrates court work can attract disbursements such as expert reports and travel disbursements which generally attract VAT at the rate of 20%.

If you have any questions about specific disbursements that might relate to your case please do contact us for further information.

We would be pleased to discuss a fixed fee option on a case by case basis if your case does not meet the above criteria.