Driving & Motoring Offence Costs

What it Costs...

Costs for Magistrates’ Court Driving Offences

If you are eligible for Legal Aid we will advise you of this and we can help you to apply. However, you are unlikely to be able to obtain Legal Aid for driving offences which are “summary only” – meaning that they can only be heard in the Magistrates’ Court. There are a range of summary only motoring offences, for example drink driving, speeding, driving without due care, or failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Where Legal Aid is not available, we are usually able to agree a fixed fee with you at the start of your case, subject to an initial assessment to establish that your case is suitable. This will depend upon, for example, the complexity of the case and the nature of your plea.

Guilty Pleas:

If your case is suitable for a fixed fee, our fixed fees for summary only motoring offences (based on an average case of average complexity) are as follows:

Attendance at a single hearing at a court local to our office £500 plus VAT at 20%
Attendance at a single hearing at a court in excess of 30 mins travel from our office £750 plus VAT at 20%

The fixed fee includes:

2 hours attendance/preparation to consider evidence, take your instructions, and provide advice on likely sentence, plus
Attendance and representation at a single hearing at the Magistrates Court

The fixed fee does 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 in relation to any appeal

Key Stages:

The key stages of your matter are based on the presumption that you have already entered a guilty plea and have a date for your hearing. The key stages are as follows:

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 £120 per hour plus VAT at 20%).
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 further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow up queries you have.
We cannot provide a precise timescale for the hearing date, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
We will attend court on the day and meet with you before going in to the courtroom. We anticipate being at court for half a day.
We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.

The fixed fee is payable in advance of any work being undertaken on your behalf. If we represent you at your first hearing on a fixed fee basis as set out above, and your case is then adjourned by the Court to another date, for example, for a sentence hearing, a trial or a special reasons/exceptional hardship argument and mitigation, our normal hourly rate would apply for the subsequent hearing as follows:

Our hourly rates for summary only driving offences are as follows:

Solicitor/Experienced Paralegal – £120 per hour plus VAT at 20%

Trials:

In cases where a Not Guilty plea has been entered and the case adjourned for trial, the hourly rate above will apply. No two trials are the same and therefore it is very difficult to provide a set estimate of costs. However, for an average case of average complexity the typical costs would be in the region of between £1000 and £2000 plus VAT at 20%.

Disbursements:

On occasions there may be additional costs, such as the cost of a third party/ expert required to assist with your case. These are known as disbursements. A typical example of this might be a back calculation report in a drink driving case where you intend to defend your case on the basis that alcohol had been consumed after and not before driving. We have access to the most experienced experts in the field and can gain competitive prices for their expert opinion. Experts reports in motoring cases generally cost in the region of between £500 and £1,500 plus VAT at 20%. Expenses may also be incurred. Experts fees are payable to the expert in advance of them carrying out any work for you. We promise that no additional fees will ever be incurred by us on your behalf without your express approval in advance.

How long will my case take?

In guilty plea cases, the average timescale is less than 3 months, but this will depend on the court date which is set by the court for the final hearing. In not guilty plea cases, the average timescale is between 3 and 6 months, and again depends on the availability of court time to list your trial. Each case and each court is individual, and we can advise you further during your consultation with us.

Who will work on my case?

Our motoring offence work is supervised by Daniel Frazer who leads our Magistrates’ Court Department. Court advocacy will be provided by our specialist solicitors, and attendance / preparation will be undertaken by our specialist solicitors.

Deborah Morgan graduated with 2:1 degree in English Law and French Law from Manchester University, before passing the Legal Practice Course with Distinction.

She completed her training in a leading Criminal Defence practice in the North East of England and qualified as a solicitor in 2000, returning to the North West to specialise in the defence of youths for a major Crime only law firm in Manchester city centre.

After continuing her career in the Crime department of a Lancaster firm, she founded FMB Solicitors in 2004. She is the Senior Partner, with overall supervision of the firm’s work, and she now specialises in serious and complex Crown Court cases, alongside her Magistrates’ Court and Police Station work.

Daniel Frazer is our Head of Magistrates’ Court Work. Daniel qualified as a Solicitor in 2008 and joined FMB in 2024. He obtained a Degree in Criminology & Criminal Justice at the University of Wales, Bangor, before obtaining a Graduate Diploma in Law and completing the Legal Practice Course at The College of Law, Chester. He has worked exclusively in Criminal Defence work since qualifying.

Daniel regularly attends at the police station to assist our clients during interview, and appears on a daily basis in the Magistrates’ Courts representing clients facing the full range of allegations from motoring offences and shop thefts, through to burglary, fraud, drugs and violence.

He is a fan of football and rugby, having played in the Welsh Leagues when he was at University. He now attends matches as a spectator watching professional Football League games and 6 Nations matches.

Known for his calm and reassuring approach, Daniel has built a strong reputation as a true expert in his field, securing the best outcome for his clients and with a particular talent in contested cases. He has successfully defended many clients in trials, for example:

R v B & T (2025) – Two Defendants with no previous convictions who were alleged to have assaulted a male with weapons. The allegations were strongly denied, and both were found not guilty after their trial, ensuring that neither client received a criminal record or prison sentence.

R v V (2025) – Allegation of a neighbour dispute where the client was accused of assaulting the complainant in the street. Self Defence was argued successfully and Daniel’s client was acquitted of all charges.

Probation v S (2025) – Daniel’s client was accused of failing to comply with a Community Order. This was denied, and the Magistrates accepted the Defence account at trial, ensuring that the client could continue to complete his Order in the community without fear of being resentenced to a harsher penalty.

William (Bill) Rawstron is a Senior Solicitor in our Magistrates Court Department. Born and bred locally, Bill attended Central Lancashire University where he obtained his degree in Law and subsequently completed his Articles. Bill qualified as a Solicitor in 1992 and joined FMB in 2025, having previously practised law in firms across Lancashire during his extensive career. He has worked exclusively in Criminal Defence work since qualifying, and has amassed a wealth of specialist knowledge. Straight talking and down-to-earth, Bill ensures that his clients are always in safe hands.

He is an avid Cricket Fan, having played in his youth as a wicket keeper for Accrington Cricket Club keeping wicket for the late great Australian Shane Warne. He still enjoys watching cricket and attends local matches and Test Matches.

Please note that every case is different. Should you wish to discuss a fixed fee and the option is not outlined above, we would be happy to consider this on a case by case basis.

For more information please contact our Driving Offences experts on 01254 274 700,
or email info@fmbsolicitors.co.uk