Introduction
As part of our professional rules, we aim to ensure that anyone wishing to use our services have the information they need to make an informed choice of legal services provider, including understanding what the costs may be for summary motoring offences.
Why instruct VCW Law?
We are a long established niche legal firm specialising in criminal law and family law matters. We represent clients at the police station, Magistrates Court, and Crown Court. Dealing with a whole range of cases from Murder, Sexual offences, Fraud & Money Laundering, Drug supply, to shop thefts, assaults, criminal damage, and motoring offences. We are contracted to perform criminal legal aid work but in the event you do not qualify then we offer our service also on a private client paying basis.
In relation to motoring cases we can offer to deal with your case on a fixed fee basis. To provide you with an idea of our costs we have provide some typical examples of cases we have dealt with:
Case Example 1
Drink driving offence, guilty plea – £250 + vat (typical cost)
What is included?
- > Attendance and/or preparation;
- > Considering evidence;
- > Taking your instructions;
- > Providing advice on likely sentence;
- > Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court.
What is not included?
- > Instruction of any expert witnesses;
- > Taking statements from any witnesses;
- > Advice and assistance in relation to a Special Reasons and hearing *;
- > Advice or assistance in relation to any appeal.
* Special Reasons pertain exclusively to situations where the accused has been found or has pled guilty and now faces disqualification unless he/she can persuade the Court that the circumstances of the offence are such that it would be unjust to impose a ban.
Key stages involved
The key stages of your matter are based on the presumption that you have entered a guilty plea or will plead guilty and have a date for your hearing. They typically include:
- > Meet with your you to provide instructions on what happened;
- > Consider initial disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice;
- > Arranging to take any witness statements, if necessary (this will have an additional cost).
- > Explain the court procedure to you so you know what to expect on the day of your hearing, and the sentencing options available to the Court;
- > Conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you, if necessary, and answer any follow up queries you have;
- > Attend court on the day, meet with you before going before the court. We anticipate being at court for about half a day.
- > Discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.
- > Please note we cannot provide an exact time when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day. Most offences of this nature when someone pleads guilty can be dealt with at a single hearing.
Case Example 2
Drive without due care and attention, Not guilty trial – fixed fee £500 + VAT (typical cost)
What is included?
- > Attendance and/or preparation;
- > Considering evidence;
- > Taking your instructions;
- > Providing advice on the evidence;
- > Attendance and representation at a plea hearing and first day of trial at the Magistrates Court. Additional hearings and extra days of trial will attract additional cost;
- > In the undesired event of conviction then advice and representation for sentence.
What is not included?
- > Instruction of any expert witnesses (eg. a road traffic collision report is likely to cost £750 - £1500 + VAT, variable dependent on the complexity) ;
- > Taking statements from any witnesses;
- > Advice and assistance in relation to a Special Reasons Hearing*;
- > Advice or assistance in relation to any appeal.
*Special Reasons pertain exclusively to situations where the accused has been found or has pled guilty and now faces disqualification unless he/she can persuade the Court that the circumstances of the offence are such that it would be unjust to impose a ban.
Key stages involved
The key stages of your matter typically include:
- > Meet with your you to provide instructions on what happened;
- > Consider prosecution disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice;
- > Arranging to take any witness statements, if necessary (this will have an additional cost).
- > Explain the court procedure to you so you know what to expect on the days of your hearings, and in the undesirable event of conviction, the sentencing options available to the Court;
- > Conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you, if necessary, and answer any follow up queries you have;
- > Attend court on the day of plea and the first day of trial, meet with you before going before the court. We anticipate being at court for a day.
- > Discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.
Please note we cannot provide an exact time when your hearings will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day. Most cases of this nature where a not guilty plea is entered will require 2 hearings (a plea and case management hearing then the trial itself). Depending on how busy the Court is then your trial may not be listed for 2 or 3 months.
Our Motoring Offences Team
- > Brett Wildridge – Partner Solicitor– Supervisor - date admitted 1997;
- > Christopher Marley – Partner Solicitor- Supervisor - date admitted 1995;
- > Choi Cheng – Partner Solicitor – Supervisor - date admitted 2002;
- > Liz McGowan – Partner Solicitor - date admitted 2003;
- > Alexander Bousfield – Higher Rights Advocate Solicitor– date admitted 1997;
- > Nicole Horton – Higher Rights Advocate Solicitor– date admitted 2007;
- > Adelle Hurne – Assistant Solicitor – date admitted 2018
Please note: These typical fixed fees are based on hearings at our local court (Teesside / Cleveland Magistrates Court). Courts based further from our base in Stockton on Tees can incur additional cost. We may not be able to offer fixed fee rates in cases which are unusually complex.
