Insights
17 Mar 21
Vulnerable Road Users and the whiplash reforms
Lili Oliver
This section applies to our advice to you in respect of a motoring offence with which you have been charged. It applies only where the offence in question is a “summary” offence, in other words, an offence which would normally be dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court. Examples of such offences include: driving whilst disqualified; driving without insurance; careless and inconsiderate driving; driving whilst unfit (alcohol or drugs); failing to give information as to the identity of the driver; failing to stop or report; and speeding.
We have set out below the fees that we would typically charge for handling your case:
| Fee (excluding VAT) The below represent our average |
What services are, or are not, included? |
|---|---|
|
Type of offence Driving whilst disqualified: Trial £2,000-£5,000 Driving without insurance: Trial £2,000-£5,000 Careless driving: Trial £3,000-£5,000 Driving whilst over the prescribed limit; drink or drug driving – including in-charge and failure to provide a specimen: Trial £5,000-£8,000 Failure to provide information (driver ID): Trial £2,000-£5,000 Failure to stop (report accident): Trial £2,000-£5,000 Speeding: Trial £3,000-£5,000 VAT is charged in addition at 20%. |
On a guilty plea: Services included:
The following would not be included:
For representation at trial: Services included:
The following would not be included:
|
Please note that the fee ranges stated above reflect the work that we would expect to carry out in respect of a typical guilty plea or trial case and, where appropriate, is based on the following assumptions:
- That you have a hearing date already listed
- That your case is not adjourned requiring further attendance.
Why might our fee vary?
Factors that may result in a change from the fee indicated above include:
- If either of the assumptions listed above proves to be incorrect
- If the hearing runs beyond half a day
- The location of the trial/sentence hearing
- The number of witnesses involved
- The number of offences charged
- The instruction of expert witnesses
- If the court requires a report from the probation service.
Before you commit to paying, we will explain to you any variance from the indicative fee if this is apparent from the outset. We will also keep you updated at all times if any of these, or other, factors are likely to result in an increase in our fee.
What other costs may arise?
You may have to pay certain expenses and other costs. To the extent that such costs relate to amounts that we must pay to third parties, they are known as “disbursements”. The costs and expenses most likely to arise are expert’s fees, our travel expenses and, if we consult a barrister to represent you, barrister’s fees. The amount payable will vary depending on the circumstances of your case. We will aim to provide you with an estimate of such costs when you instruct us and will, of course, keep you updated as the case progresses.
Timescale and key stages of the process
These are the key stages of the trial process:
- Entering a not guilty plea (usually done in writing or online)
- The prosecution serves its case
- Case Management hearing – identifying for the Court the issues in the case and which witnesses will be required. Fixing a date for trial
- Trial.
This process will typically take 12-26 weeks to complete, but this may vary. Typical factors which may influence the duration include:
- Witnesses availability
- Local Court availability
- The Crown Prosecution Service resources.
We will keep you updated at all times if any of these, or other, factors are likely to result in delay.
Who will be dealing with your case?
Your application will typically be handled by a solicitor in our Regulatory team, supported as necessary by our trainees/paralegals. A solicitor acting for you may be described in correspondence as a “Partner” or “Legal Director”, a “Principal Associate”, an “Associate” or a “Solicitor”. Partners and Legal Directors have equivalent status. An Associate is, generally, more experienced than a Solicitor, but not as experienced as a Principal Associate. Our trainees/paralegals are not (yet) solicitors, and usually have no other formal legal qualification.
We will always ensure that the solicitor acting for you has the requisite level of experience to handle your case competently. In any event, all work will be supervised by a Partner or Legal Director, being the most senior member of the team allocated to you.
If we do not provide you with a fixed fee quote, or if we do additional work for you which is outside our fixed fee quote, please note that our hourly rates (exclusive of VAT) for each type of solicitor or other team member who may be involved in your transaction, are as follows:
| Partner or Legal Director (London) | £450 per hour |
|---|---|
| Partner or Legal Director (outside London) | £350 per hour |
| Principal Associate (London) | £400 per hour |
| Principal Associate (outside London) | £300 per hour |
| Associate (London) | £360 per hour |
| Associate (outside London) | £260 per hour |
| Solicitor (London) | £330 per hour |
| Solicitor (outside London) | £230 per hour |
| Trainee or paralegal (London) | £250 per hour |
| Trainee or paralegal (outside London) | £175 per hour |
If we need to rely on our hourly rates, we will endeavour to provide you with an estimate of the time that each member of the team is likely to take in order to conclude your case.
Once you know who will be in the team allocated to your transaction, you will be able to find out more information about the team by visiting the Regulatory section on our website.
If you have any queries, please contact Dewi Ap-Thomas at dewi.ap-thomas@weightmans.com in the first instance.
