Professional Service Costs

Our Fees

We consider it is important that you know what our costs are from the outset so that you can detail your instructions to us with certainty.  We will agree with you those costs at an early stage and  will never be greater than that quoted.

We operate a fixed fee system and agree the costs with you in advance of your case. However, there is an option  to instruct us on an hourly rate. The choice always remains yours.

In some cases, we will have to instruct experts and their costs will be classed as a disbursement. These charges will be in addition to our fees.  However, we will consult and obtain your agreement before incurring those disbursements.

For your convenience, you can pay in a number of ways either by:

• Credit Card
• Debit Card
• Bank Transfer
• Cheque
• Cash

However, for your certainty, and to ensure that you have engaged our services, we require advance payments at certain stages of your case preparation.

Fixed Fees Options  

1. Initial telephone conference (without case papers)
    
2. Review and advice including consideration of the summonses and case summary. For this service, we will require you to forward to us your summonses and case summary to  enable us to advise you.
    
3. Written plea and mitigation following consideration of the summons and case summary. If there is no defence available, we can make representations to the Court on your  behalf to mitigate down the punishment.  In some cases, it will not be necessary for you to attend  Court in person.
    
4. Personal representation in Court. In cases where you have to attend Court or  where it is deemed more effective to have legal representation, then we will attend, either with you or  on your behalf, to address the Court to mitigate down your case.  This service means that you are  not appearing on your own in Court and have the benefit of a legally qualified advocate to address  the Court on your behalf.
    
5. Mitigating circumstances and Exceptional Hardship. Where the Court has  indicated that they intend to disqualify you from driving under the totting up procedure [12 or more  penalty points]  then we can attend Court with you to present your case and show that you will suffer  Exceptional Hardship if disqualified.  This service includes us considering your application,  thoroughly preparing the case including considering the use of witnesses at the hearing.   Where  necessary, we will obtain statements from your witness(es), identify supporting documents and  prepare you to give evidence.
    
6. Fully contested Trial. Where you have entered a plea of not guilty and your case has  been adjourned for a full trial, we will present your case. To do this, we will identify the factual and  legal issues and gather evidence on your behalf.  We will obtain statements from witnesses and  advise the Court and inform the Crown Prosecution Service what evidence is accepted and what is  rejected.  We will attend any pre-trial review hearings and prepare you to give evidence.

   At the trial  hearing, we will cross-examine witnesses on your behalf and lead you through any evidence to the  conclusion where we will make submissions to the Court. In the event that you are convicted, we will  make representations to the Bench on your personal circumstances.

   Whilst we always aim to provide a fixed fee system, in  contested cases we may be required to attend Court on more than one occasion and each case is  individual to its own facts.  Therefore, costs can increase from that quoted.  However, at each stage  of the trial process, we will keep you informed as to costs.

Recovering your costs – Defence Costs Order

When you have been successfully defended, we will seek to recover your costs by way of a “Defendant’s Costs Order”.  The application for recovery of costs is made to the Court and the Magistrates [or Judge] will usually award those costs unless there is clear reasons for not doing so.