Fees for advice and representation at single hearings for sentence in the Magistrates Court
In cases which are not contested and where a guilty plea has been or will be entered and where no adjournment to a future date to contest and/or call evidence is expected we charge a fee ranging from £500 to £800 plus VAT depending on the amount of time involved. The VAT inclusive amount of between £600 to £960 is payable in full upon instruction and in advance of the hearing date.
Such cases are usually:
- Speeding offences and other offences where there is a likelihood the Magistrates will consider a discretionary disqualification, e.g. Speeding in excess of 30 mph above the relevant limit, being In Charge of a vehicle whilst over the prescribed limit, etc.
- Cases where the Court has a discretion in the number of penalty points to be imposed depending on the perceived seriousness of the offence, e.g. Careless Driving 3-9 points, Failing to stop after an accident 5-10 points, Speeding 3-6 points, and No Insurance 6-8 points, particularly where this may impact upon the “Totting Up” calculation or where the New Driver provisions (disqualification at 6 points) apply.
- Cases where the Magistrates may consider Community Penalties or even a Custodial Sentence, e.g. Driving with Excess Alcohol or under the influence of Drugs, Disqualified Driving or Failing to stop after an accident, but where Legal Aid is not available because of your means.
The Fee includes two to three hours attendance/preparation:
- Considering evidence
- Taking your instructions
- Providing advice on likely sentence
- Reporting to you in writing the result of the hearing and basic advice on sentence.
- Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court
The Fee does not include:
- Instruction of any expert witness
- Taking statements from any witness
- Advice and representation in relation to an “Exceptional Hardship” or “Special Reasons” hearing
- Advice and representation in relation to a matter for trial
- Time and cost of travelling to a Court other than Coventry or Leamington Spa.
The following key stages of your matter are based on the presumption that you have entered a guilty plea or will do so and have a date for your hearing.
- Initial meeting with your solicitor to provide instructions on what happened.
- We will consider initial disclosure and any other evidence and provide advice.
- We will 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.
- We will conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow up queries you have.
- We will attend court on the day and meet with you before representing you at the hearing.
- We will discuss the outcome with you.
We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
Any additional work including taking witness statements or providing formal advice on appeal will incur an additional hourly charge of £306 per hour including VAT.
Exceptional Hardship, Special Reasons and other hearings at the Magistrates Court
In cases where you instruct us to make representations that you should not be disqualified from driving because of “Exceptional Hardship” or “Special Reasons” or where your case is adjourned for a trial following a Not Guilty plea or for some other reason, we usually charge an hourly rate of £306 per hour including VAT, as the type, length and complexity of each case is too variable and unpredictable to fix a fee. In such cases we can provide you with an estimate of the costs involved.
Our Solicitors
Advice and representation at the Magistrates Court is provided by our specialist Solicitors, Martin Groves and Gurjit Singh. Martin Groves is our Department Supervisor.
