The Experts at Handling Motoring Offences

While the law surrounding motoring offences is usually clear, not every offence is simple and straightforward. It may well not be clear whether the evidence is sufficient to secure a conviction and there may well be disagreement as to what the evidence actually is and how reliable it is. Witnesses often have entirely different views on what they actually saw.

A summary offence can only be heard in a magistrates court unless the matter is in some way linked with a more serious case that is ongoing in a Crown Court

Examples of Summary Only offences include:

Driving over the speed limit.
Failure to stop and report after an Accident
Failure to exchange details after an accident
Failure to provide details of driver on request
Failure to provide insurance details on request
Failure to be in proper control of your car
Failure to provide a specimen for analysis
Driving over the prescribed limit of alcohol or drugs
Being in charge of a vehicle whilst over the prescribed limit of alcohol or drugs.
Using a hand held device whilst driving
Driving without due care and attention (careless driving)
Driving without insurance
Driving in breach of the conditions of your driving licence
Driving whilst disqualified
Fixed Penalty Tickets
Congestions Charge violations
Parking and other obstruction offences including Pay and Display
Traffic Signals and Signs violations
Camera evidenced Red Light
Bus Lane and other traffic violation offence cameras

Motoring offences can result in a person’s driving licence being endorsed with penalty points or being revoked, the person receiving a fine or even a prison sentence in certain circumstances. We can assist with offences committed throughout the country and are readily available to those clients in Greater London and the adjoining Home Counties..

Our team has many years’ experience in motoring offences and is able to assist on the most complex of cases, that require expert analysis, to enable comprehensive advice to be given.

Our defence team contains 4 solicitors supported by a graduate paralegal team is made up of four members of staff that can assist you on your case. No matter who works on your matter, they will be closely supervised by our principal solicitor, Mr Manzoor Ahmad Shah.

We have specific expertise in matters involving the following:

Please note that the above is an inexhaustive list of matters we can assist in.

Our Team

Please see the “Our People section of this web-site for greater details of our individual lawyers.

Our defence team is headed by the principal of our practice Manzoor Ahmed Shah who is a Solicitor  with over 17 years experience.. He supervises the whole Defence team. In the team we have 4 Solicitors, and a graduate Paralegal with very many years of experience between them. They are

Manzoor Ahmad Shah Solicitor and principal of the firm

Khadija Khan               Solicitor

Neil Blackaby               Solicitor

Naseer Ahmad Shah      Solicitor

Each adopts a friendly but professional approach to their work ensuring that the best possible advice and service is given to our clients.

Fees

Legal Aid is not available for Summary only motoring offences so we only accept instructions on a Private Payment basis.

Our charging rate varies depending on the seniority and experience of the person undertaking the work. It is often advantageous for the client to agree a fixed fee with us which we can properly quote for when we have substantive detail about the matter. Our standard hourly charging rates are:

• Manzoor Ahmad Shah Principal of the firm                         £300 + VAT
• Khadija Khan                   Solicitor                                                            £250+ VAT
• Neil Blackaby                   Solicitor                                                            £250+ VAT
• Naseer Ahmad Shah  Solicitor                                                            £220+ VAT
• Any other support caseworker                                                          £150+ VAT

Fees and charges will be calculated on the time we have spent in dealing with your case. This includes advising, attending on you and your witnesses, if any, dealing with incoming and outgoing correspondence and telephone calls, travelling, waiting, advocacy and preparation times.

Preparation, or time expended in considering and dealing with incoming and outgoing communications such as routine letters, telephone calls, emails, text messages, faxes both incoming and outgoing will be charged at 1/10^th of the hourly rate. Complex and/or longer communications will be charged on the basis of the actual time involved.

Mileage for travelling is charged at a rate of £0.45 plus VAT per mile. We will give you an estimate of how much the costs in a particular matter will be. Indicative fees Our minimum charge for a straight forward uncontested motoringoffence case, which  involves only 1 hearing is £1,000 plus VAT. If however the case is complex and involves more than one hearing, or if you plead not guilty, or if you require an expert’s report, then we will charge on an hourly rate basis of £250 plus VAT, with an estimation of 20 hours worth of work involved. VAT will be charged at a rate of 20%.

The fees include:

• Attendance/preparation
• Considering evidence
• Taking your instructions
• Providing advice on likely sentence
• Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates’ Court

The fees do not include:

• Instruction of any expert witnesses
• Taking statements from any witnesses
• Advice and assistance in relation to a special reasons hearing
• Advice and assistance of any newton hearing
• Advice or assistance in relation to any appeal

DISBURSEMENTS

The likely disbursements in such cases can be in the form of:

• Expert Witness Reports which may cost in the range of £1,000.00 to £2,000.00 plus VAT.
• Counsel’s fees which can range from £500 – £1000 plus VAT per day.

Key Stages

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.
• Consideration of initial disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice thereof.
• Arrange to take any witness statements if necessary, please be advised that this may carry an additional cost.
• 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 may have.
• We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the Court listing for that day.
• A member of staff or a representative instructed by the firm will attend Court on the day and meet with you before going to the Court. We will advise you of an estimate of time for the hearing.

• We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost

Timescales

Timescales can vary depending on the case and the complexity of issues that are involved. For straightforward motoring offence cases, it will normally take between 3 – 6 months to finalise a case. However, where cases are more complex, it can take up to a year and sometimes beyond that.. However, we will always keep you updated.