Crime Price Transparency Statement
Our overall fees vary depending upon how complex your case is and what you would like us to do. For a free quote please email lawyers@waldrons.co.uk or call 01384 811 811 We would be more than happy to discuss your case.
To give you an idea of how we charge however, and to comply the SRA price transparency rules, we have set out below details of our typical charges.
Our charges are made up of:
- our fees for the legal work; and
- ‘disbursements’ – disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to other people, such as fees for bailiffs. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Where VAT is referred to below please note that this will be charged at the applicable rate, which is currently 20%.
Our fees
Legal aid is not normally available for simple cases such as lower level drink driving, speeding or using a mobile phone while driving cases and so clients typically pay these fees themselves. If you are likely to be eligible for legal aid funding we shall guide you accordingly and we will always seek Legal Aid funding for your case where it is available.
Ordinarily we deal with cases on a fixed fee basis which will be agreed with you before any work is undertaken.
If you aren’t sure if you need a solicitor at Court, or you want some general advice we charge £150 + VAT for a consultation. This can be in person, or remotely on the phone or video, whichever best fits in with you.
If you require assistance at Court, as a guide, our fees for, where you plead guilty and a single hearing is needed, our fee is £450 + VAT and this includes:
- Up to 2 hours of support to you including:
- Discussing what happened with you;
- Reviewing the evidence in the case;
- Giving you advice on the possible outcomes in your case;
- Giving you advice on how to best mitigate your circumstances;
- Attending and representing you at one hearing at a Magistrates Court local to us. This would be one of our solicitors – not by an external barrister, sometimes known as ‘Counsel’.
If your case is more complicated, you are pleading not guilty or have a hardship application to put forward, a higher fixed fee will be payable to cover the additional work required, such as:
- The cost of instructing an expert witness;
- Taking statements from witnesses;
- Advising on or assisting with a ‘special reasons’ hearing;
- Advising or assisting with any appeal.
If you contact us we can you give you a quote for your particular case.
Other costs to consider
The costs set out above do not include:
- any fines or costs you become liable for as a result of the offence committed;
- appeal costs;
- the cost of taking witness statements, which are charged at an additional £150 each;
- obtaining expert witness evidence if required.
Key stages of your case
The fee above is intended to cover all of the key stages of a summary motoring offence case:
- Meeting with your and finding out what happened;
- Advice on your case;
- Considering initial disclosure and evidence in your case;
- If necessary, taking witness statements (which carry an additional cost of £150)
- Explaining the procedure and next steps to you;
- Attending Court with you for a single hearing
- Helping you understand the outcome of the case and your options for appeal if appropriate (appeal costs are separate).
It would not normally be necessary to undertake other work or incur costs other than those described above. However, we would be very happy to provide you with a more tailored quote for all stages of your particular case once we know about your specific circumstances.
How long will my case take?
Generally speaking cases of this nature are not made up of a lot of different stages and are concluded on the day of your Magistrates Court hearing. The Magistrates Court date is normally set by the Police after your arrest or in the Court summons so hopefully you are aware of when your case will be concluded. If we are working together and you are not sure of your Court date please just ask us and we would be very happy to confirm.
Who will be dealing with my case?
Your case will be handled by a trusted member of our experienced team who is qualified as a solicitor and/or Higher Rights Advocate.
Once we know who will be handling your case for you we will introduce you to them and provide you with full details of their background and qualifications. Full details of the experience and qualifications of our team are available on our website www.waldrons.co.uk including the types of work normally undertaken.
Regardless of who is working on your case the matter will be supervised by one of our Directors
Joseph Norton | Managing Director and Solicitor | Personal Injury/Clinical Negligence | 15 years PQE