MOTORING LAW
What is Motoring Law?
Motoring law in the UK encompasses the legal rules and regulations that govern the use of motor vehicles on public roads. This area of law covers a wide range of offences, from minor traffic violations to more serious crimes, such as dangerous driving or causing death by dangerous driving.
Motoring law includes both criminal and civil proceedings, with criminal cases resulting in fines, driving bans, and even imprisonment, depending on the severity of the offence.
Civil proceedings, on the other hand, typically relate to disputes over personal injury claims or insurance matters.
In addition, motoring law includes the rules and regulations governing the acquisition and retention of driving licenses, the use of seatbelts and other safety equipment, and the inspection and maintenance of vehicles.
This area of law is constantly evolving, with new regulations and technologies being introduced to improve road safety and reduce the number of accidents caused by reckless or negligent driving.
Our motoring law services
A driving ban can have serious consequences, damaging both your livelihood and family life. So if you're facing a driving offence, our motoring law solicitors can give you the specialist legal advice you need.
We are here to help you!
At John Black Solicitors, we understand that driving offences can range from minor document offences to cases involving the death of another person. Our motoring law department has a wealth of experience in all matters related to the use of all types of vehicles on roads in the UK.
Unlike many law firms that offer to deal with motoring cases, we have the expertise and specialist knowledge to help you navigate the complexities of motoring law.
Our solicitors are well-versed in the exceptions and nuances that may save you from a ban, and we understand that "the devil is in the detail" when it comes to motoring offences. In fact, it's often the so-called "loopholes" that can make all the difference in your case. Can you afford not to check your case with a specialist?
Our expertise in motoring law includes defending individuals or companies facing criminal prosecution for offences that arise from driving or riding a vehicle on the road. We can also help you with difficulties obtaining or retaining a driving licence of any kind.
At John Black Solicitors, we provide comprehensive legal representation and advice to ensure that our clients receive the best possible outcome for their case.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how we can help you with your motoring law case.
John Black can give you free advice and ensure you have the best possible chance of success. We deal with all road traffic offences, including:
Drink/Drug driving offences
Dangerous driving
Careless driving
Failing to stop/report
Driving with no insurance
Speeding fines
Bans from totting up points on your driving licence
Use of a mobile phone
S.172 notices (Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 is the legal requirement of a registered vehicle keeper to provide details to the police regarding an alleged traffic offence.)
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We will undertake these cases for a fixed fee of £400 plus VAT and disbursements. Disbursements are expenses we have to pay out on your behalf. We will tell you what these are in advance.
Travel lasting more than 30 minutes is charged at £50 per hour plus VAT.
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All you need to do is visit our Meet The Team page to read through our team's bio and profiles, along with their photographs.
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If there are any disbursements, we will discuss them with you beforehand so you know exactly what the cost will be.
Note: We don't make a profit on disbursements. We only charge you the actual cost we have paid for the expenditure agreed upon by you in advance.
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VAT is charged for our services but not for disbursements.
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Details of what services are included in the fixed price, including key stages of the matter and likely timescales for each stage, along with details of any service that might reasonably be expected to be included in the price displayed but are not.
The service we give in such cases includes the following elements:
Considering the evidence
Providing advice in relation to plea ["guilty or not guilty"]
Explanation of the sentencing options open to the court, and where possible, we will tell you the sentence we expect to be handed down by the court.
Advice on representations we can make to the court on sentence, where the court has a discretion such as exceptional hardship or "special reasons" for not disqualifying a driver who would otherwise be disqualified from driving or disqualifying for a shorter period e.g. because they would lose their job, e.g. HGV driver.
Up to a total of 30 minutes of travelling time.
Representation in court at a single hearing
The fixed fee does not include the following elements:
Instruction of any expert witnesses
Taking statements from any witnesses
Advice and assistance in relation to a "special reasons" hearing
Advice or assistance in relation to any appeal
More than one hearing
Preparation for or representation in a trial
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The key stages of your matter are based on the presumption that you have entered a guilty plea and have a date for your hearing.
Meet with your solicitor to provide instructions on what happened.
We will consider initial disclosure and any other evidence and provide advice.
Arranging to take any witness statements if necessary (this will have an additional cost of £100 plus VAT per statement).
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 cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
We will attend court on the day and meet with you before going before the court. We anticipate being at court for up to half a day.
We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.
Accused of committing a driving offence?
Road Traffic law is a specialised area of law and one in which it pays to seek the advice of a specialist solicitor. Contact John Black Solicitors now via our online contact form or call us to schedule an appointment.
John Black is our specialist road traffic solicitor and may be able to help you avoid getting penalty points and a fine or a ban. In certain circumstances, you can put forward special reasons or an exceptional hardship argument to prevent a period of disqualification.
Whatever your motoring offence, our experienced road traffic lawyers can often make the difference between losing your driving licence – and possibly your job – and keeping it.
We'll also make the court process much less intimidating for you with specialist legal support to help you fight your case.
Potential Fixed Fee Cases
Fixed fee cases for certain Magistrates' Court hearings affected by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Transparency Regulations
The Solicitors Regulation Authority require us to comply with certain regulations concerning the information provided to potential clients who wish to be represented in certain motoring matters.
The Transparency Rules relate to cases that can only be tried in the Magistrate's Court, which are dealt with in one hearing. These are Summary only motoring offences under Part I of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and s89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
For Magistrates and Crown Court cases that are not covered in these regulations and where legal aid is unobtainable, we will give a written estimate of our charges before you decide to instruct us and before you incur any costs.
This is how the John Black Solicitors Criminal Law department complies with the Transparency Regulations relating to single hearing Magistrates only motoring matters under the above Acts:
The wording of the rules we must comply with and our responses to follow:
Client Care & Resources
For all client care documents, please visit our resources centre for all downloadable documents and forms.
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Disclaimer
The law and practice referred to on this page have been paraphrased or summarised. While we have made every effort to provide accurate information, the law is always changing and affects each person differently. This information is no substitute for specific advice about you personally, and we will not be liable to you if you rely on this information. Please always contact us for specific advice and instructions.