Motoring Offences – Fees and Services

Introduction

At JHR Solicitors Ltd we believe in providing high-quality representation with complete transparency about costs. We only take on a limited number of cases at any one time to ensure clients receive our full attention. All fees are agreed in advance and fixed, so you will always know the total cost from the outset.

Our practice specialises exclusively in motoring offences and related criminal law. All cases are dealt with personally by our Director, John Ruane, a qualified solicitor with over 11 years’ experience in criminal defence and motoring law. John has represented clients in hundreds of motoring cases before the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts, including complex contested drink and drug driving trials.

Value Added Tax (VAT)
VAT @ 20% has to be added to our fees and some disbursements.

Basis of Our Fees

We charge fixed fees for all motoring cases.

– Guilty plea at a single Magistrates’ Court hearing: £3,000 + VAT (£3,600 inclusive).

– Other cases are quoted individually depending on complexity.

Fees are payable in advance, unless otherwise agreed.

Our fixed fee includes representation at court, whether by John Ruane personally or by a trusted barrister from our regular pool of specialist advocates.

What is Included in the Fee

– Initial consultation and advice on your case.

– Reviewing prosecution evidence.

– Advising on plea, sentence and likely outcome.

– Preparation of your defence and mitigation.

– Representation at the hearing(s) by either John Ruane or a trusted specialist barrister.

Disbursements (Not Included in the Fee)

Our fixed fee covers all our work on your case, including representation at Court. However, there may be additional costs payable to third parties (disbursements) which are not included in our fee. These may include:

• Expert reports (for example, toxicology experts)
• usually £600 + VAT (£720) to £1,200 + VAT (£1440).
• Interpreters – usually around £25 per hour + VAT (£30), if required.
• Court fees (vary on a case-by-case basis).
• Hotel accommodation (if an overnight stay is unavoidable).

We will always discuss these with you in advance and provide an estimate before incurring any such cost.

Key Stages of a Guilty Plea Case

1. Taking your instructions and reviewing the case.

2. Considering disclosure and advising you on plea and likely sentence.

3. Preparing mitigation and any relevant supporting material.

4. Representation at your plea and sentencing hearing.

5. Advising on outcome and next steps.

Typical Timescales

In cases where a case is dealt with at a single hearing the whole case is usually completed within six months from the date of the offence. However, each case is different and we cannot provide a precise timescale of how long each key stage will take or when hearings will take place, as this depends on many factors such as the complexity of the matter and court listings.

We should be able to give you a more accurate idea of timescale when we’ve more details about your case.

Who Will Do the Work?

All work on motoring matters is undertaken and supervised by John Ruane, Solicitor and Director of JHR Solicitors Ltd. John has 11 years’ experience in motoring and criminal defence law and is solely responsible for the conduct and supervision of your case.