As experts in motoring law at the top of our field, we only offer our services on a privately paying basis. When the potential consequences of a conviction can be so severe, we don’t believe in taking chances, and want to give motorists the best possible chance of successfully defending their motoring offence. We believe that offering our services on a privately paying basis helps us to achieve that aim. By allowing drivers to instruct us privately, we are able to begin crucial case preparation way in advance of your court hearing, enabling us to conduct urgent legal work to secure evidence. We are also able to instruct the best experts in their fields to prepare reports and give evidence on your case. Paying privately gives you the upper hand throughout the duration of your case and enables us to work unrestrained by the uncertainties of legal aid.*
Our specialist motoring lawyers have acted for drivers from all walks of life; from the rich and famous to the local bus driver or mum-on-the-school-run. We offer full confidentiality, discretion and understanding on every case and can offer a press-relations service on request if required.
Our services are accessible to most people, and payment plans can be arranged.
Please take a look at our dedicated who we are and what you can expectpages for a snapshot of what it means to be a client of Ashworth Motoring Law.
Fixed Fees
We agree our fees in advance on every single case regardless of fee type or case complexity.
There are too many instances where motorists are unfairly treated by the system, and are then the victims of further injustice when seeking to defend their motoring prosecution on hourly rates, seeing their solicitors’ fees rising considerably day in, day out, to a point where continuing to defend their case is no longer affordable.
We don’t accept that, and neither should you. At Ashworth Motoring Law, we provide the highest possible standard of service without the need for you to worry about your legal bill rising every time you answer the phone. We don’t charge by the minute; we agree a fee for the work we do and we stick to it.
We offer discounts to a number of groups, including those who rely on their licence for their employment and motorists charged with drug driving who have enrolled onto a drug rehabilitation programme.
Pricing Structures
We offer a number of
pricing structures to reflect the level of service and experience desired as
part of your defence package.
Regardless of the level of service you choose, the following items are included in each and every case as standard:
A fully qualified solicitor who specialises solely in motoring law will be responsible for your case;
Full advice and support throughout the duration of your case;
Initial telephone conference of unlimited length to take instructions and draft a comprehensive statement;
Expert strategy on the best direction to take in your case (our specialist case techniques and strategies are second to none and have been developed through years of successfully avoiding driving disqualifications);
Pre-hearing negotiations with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Police and Court to secure a lesser charge where possible;
Access to the Country’s leading barristers and experts;
Consideration of all evidence received from the police, such as charge sheets, witness statements, custody records, CCTV, interviews, and notices of intended prosecution;
Consideration of all material received from the Court such as single justice procedure notices, and postal requisitions;
Consideration of all evidence received from the CPS, such as Police forms, witness statements, CCTV, interviews, exhibits, photographic evidence, forensic evidence and expert reports;
Consideration of disclosed material which has been gathered by the CPS as part of their investigation but that they do not intend to rely on as part of their case ‘(the unused material);
Consideration of all legal argument from the Prosecution including, skeleton arguments, applications to vacate an upcoming hearing, applications to adduce bad character, applications to introduce hearsay, applications for special measures;
Corresponding with the Police, Prosecution and Court on your behalf;
Advice about the legal system and Court process (we pride ourselves on ensuring that each and every one of our clients is fully prepared in advance of their Court hearing and knows exactly what to expect);
Detailed guidance on the best supportive evidence to enhance the case (such as character references when entering a plea in mitigation, or witness statements when seeking a not guilty verdict);
Expert advice on the likely sentence or available defences in your case, depending on which plea you choose to enter;
Regular updates about the progress of your case;
Representation at Court by one of our hand-selected barristers;
Access to the legal team on the day of your Court appearance;
Advice on the result of your hearing and what it means;
Making applications to the Court for a witness summons where necessary;
Making applications to the Court for an adjournment where necessary;
Press-release and press-relations service if required.
If your attendance
is not required at Court, or you feel confident presenting the case yourself,
we are able to offer our legal services at a reduced fee. Please contact us for
details of our written plea and mitigation service.
On the other hand, access to a number of additional services and benefits can be obtained should you choose our enhanced or elite programmes. Please contact us for further information on our upgraded defence packages which guarantee the personal involvement of Alison Ashworth on your case.
Our fixed fees are
not inclusive of the following unless agreed in advance as part of a bespoke
fee agreement:
VAT charged at 20%;
Fees associated with obtaining expert evidence;
Fees associated with an expert’s attendance at Court;
Fees associated with drafting written legal argument and formal applications;
Fees associated with additional interim hearings;
Fees associated with more than one day’s trial attendance;
Fees associated with written advice from Counsel in respect of appeal.
Where any of the
above are advisable, an additional fixed fee will be arranged per item in
advance.
In all cases, it would always remain the responsibility of the defendant to pay any financial penalty imposed by the Court on sentence for an offence (such as Prosecution costs, fine and victim surcharge where applicable).
The fees associated with our guilty plea and mitigation damage limitation service start at £1,800 and includes full case preparation by a specialist solicitor and the attendance of a barrister at your hearing to perform all the advocacy in court on your behalf. Please contact us should you require information on pricing for the enhanced and elite guilty plea and mitigation packages which guarantee Miss Ashworth’s involvement on your case.
Our highly sought after and valuable Initial Investigation Service is available for those who want more certainty on the strength of their case to be defended before deciding on plea. This process involves us reviewing the available prosecution, police and defence evidence in advance of the first hearing. At the conclusion of the investigation, we will write to you to outline all of the defences we are able to identify, and comment on the strength of taking the case to trial. The fees associated with our invaluable initial investigation service start at £2,400 and offers significant peace of mind at a time when indecision and worry can be at an all time high. Many of our previously acquitted clients have commented that they would not have even considered entering a not guilty plea if it weren’t for the solid and indispensable advice they received as a result of our investigation before their first hearing.
As the costs of defending a case vary significantly in accordance with the nature of the offence, number of witnesses and complexity of the case issues we advise you to contact us directly for a bespoke estimate of the fees involved in your case.
Contact us today on 0330 33 22 770 for a free assessment of your case.
*Please note that in very limited instances, legal aid may be available to defend a motoring prosecution to defendants who qualify; however, eligibility is means tested, and representation by legal aid can be fraught with a number of uncertainties and restrictions that can impact on the potential success of a case. We do not therefore offer our services on a legal aid basis.
