Do People Ever Learn After Breaking the Law?

If you drive or ride a vehicle, whether it is a car, truck, or even motorcycle, there is a chance that you may face a motoring offence. For a lot of people, the consequences of such offence are usually just a fine or penalty points. For other people, however, the implications can be greater, such as a driving ban, which can lead to job loss, bigger, fines, and even imprisonment.

Many motoring solicitors do not offer their services when it comes to driving offences. This is because the law relating to this area is not straightforward. Nevertheless, if you happen to be in this situation, you should not lose hope because you can still find a motor lawyer that can represent you.

Receiving summons or a notice of intended prosecution can be highly stressful, especially when the effects of your driving conviction can be disqualification or something much worse. To lessen your anxiety, you should coordinate with a motor lawyer. Choose one with an excellent track record.

Benefits of Hiring a Motor Lawyer

Motor lawyers help their clients who mistakenly pleaded guilty to failing to name the driver when they thought they were pleading guilty to speeding offences; thus, incurring 6 penalty points.

They represent clients who have accumulated too many penalty points at the Magistrates Court, as well as clients who are accused of speeding. Moreover, they represent clients who face allegations of failing to stop after an accident, failing to report the accident to the police, failing to stop at a red light, and careless driving.

Appearing in Court

If you received a notice to appear in court by means of a postal requisition or summon, your motor lawyer can serve as your guide and support. Court appearances can be stressful, especially for first-timers. In some situations, you may even skip attending the court hearing and let your attorney go on your behalf.

First hearings often take place at the Magistrates Court. On your first hearing, you have to enter a plea. Whichever court will hear your case will depend on the severity of your charges. For example, if you are charged with speeding, your case will stay in the Magistrates Court. If you are charged of causing death by dangerous driving, your case will be sent to the Crown Court.

Hearings can be complex, which is why seeking help from motor lawyers is greatly beneficial. You should look for an attorney who can give you specialist advice and discuss your current situation.

How to Distinguish a Qualified Motor Lawyer

Find a law firm that is dedicated to representing individuals accused of road traffic or motoring offences. They should be able to provide direct and personal service, and not delegate your case to a trainee solicitor.

Communication is crucial, which is why you should be able to communicate with your motor lawyer conveniently. In case you want to ask certain questions regarding your case or status, you should be able to contact them via phone or e-mail and receive immediate response.

When it comes to fees, find a motor lawyer that offers a fixed rate. This way, you can know upfront how much you have to pay. Most lawyers offer free initial advice up to an hour, so do not hesitate to take advantage of this.

If you have been asked to go to the police station for an interview regarding road traffic or motoring offence, your motor lawyer should arrange to represent you without any charge. Ideally, the law firm you choose should believe in pro-active instead of re-active case management.

So, the moment you send out instructions, they should start to work and aim for the most favorable results. They may prepare your mitigation or defense or attempt to get your prosecution dropped.

In addition, they should give you straightforward advice. If they think that you do not have any defense, they should tell you and explain the reason why. They should also offer you advice on how you can limit your damages.

On the other hand, if they believe that your defense is valid, they should be ready to fight it out in the courts. They should also be there for you all throughout the process, even when you have to appear before the High Court or the Crown Court.

In Conclusion

Based on statistics, the prosecutions for motoring offences have gone higher over the past year. In 2013, there were 566,000 reported cases, and in 2014, there were 591,000. Similarly, the number of prosecutions for causing death by dangerous driving has increased from 144 in 2013 to 176 in 2014. Hence, you can conclude that a lot of people have not learned anything from previous offences.