Advice please

  • Thread starter Deleted member 15662
  • Start date
Convicted Driver Insurance

Deleted member 15662

Hi, I was arrested for drunk driving on Sat night. I don’t remember getting in my car. I’d got home after a night out, apparently got into an argument with my daughter and husband, then drove off. I must have been driving erratically and got stopped by the police. I’ve never as much as had a parking ticket before. It is so out of character for me. I’m so ashamed of myself.
I’m worried about telling anyone, losing my job, how I’m going to pay for a solicitor, the costs, etc. I can’t eat, sleep or stop crying. My readings take me into the 17-22 month ban category. I need my car for everything. This will affect my kids too. Will this affect work, finding another job, I’m terrified…
 
Hi We've all been there. First of all, are you certain you will lose your job? Is driving a necessary part of it?

You don't have to have a solicitor. Many people choose to represent themselves, many feel more comfortable using a solicitor. If you do want one, don't pay more than £400 or so. Avoid the very pricey DD ones who charge loads.

You will be banned, sorry but no way around that. Start looking at what public transport options you have. Others swear by e-bikes.

You'll find lots of help and advice here but no judgement.
 
RSC said:
Hi We've all been there. First of all, are you certain you will lose your job? Is driving a necessary part of it?

You don't have to have a solicitor. Many people choose to represent themselves, many feel more comfortable using a solicitor. If you do want one, don't pay more than £400 or so. Avoid the very pricey DD ones who charge loads.

You will be banned, sorry but no way around that. Start looking at what public transport options you have. Others swear by e-bikes.

You'll find lots of help and advice here but no judgement.
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Hi, thank you for replying. How do I find a solicitor who charges £400? The ones I’ve seen so far charge £950 + VAT and more! I’m horrified!
 
Sure others will also have suggestions but shop around/research online.

There will be a duty solicitor in court on the day who may be able to represent you for free but it does depend on what other cases are also on.
 
Does anyone know of a good, reasonably priced solicitor? On top of the stress of all of this, I can’t afford the huge fees. I can’t believe this is happening. I feel so sick with fear
 
SS1234 said:
Does anyone know of a good, reasonably priced solicitor? On top of the stress of all of this, I can’t afford the huge fees. I can’t believe this is happening. I feel so sick with fear
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You just call all of the local solicitors in your area and ask for the price of a guilty plea and presenting mitigation in court on the day for DD. It doesn't have to be a big firm or a fancy solicitor, your small every day solicitor will be able to do this no problem. The maximum price you should be paying is £400, I paid less than £200. The only exception to this rule is if you live in London where the price of legal representation can be double what it is elsewhere, but there will still be solicitors in the £400 range.
 
Do I tell anyone about this? How do explain losing my licence to people? I’m mortified. Drink drivers are judged so badly
 
SS1234 said:
Do I tell anyone about this? How do explain losing my licence to people? I’m mortified. Drink drivers are judged so badly
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Slow down. You are thinking about all the problems this has caused at once, and it is overwhelming you.
Break it down……
Frightened of telling work and losing your job:
Do you have to tell work, What is in your contract of employment?
Do you have to drive as a part of work? if so, and you cannot make other arrangements then you will probably lose your job unless they agree to relocate you.
Telling work it terrifying you. I would suggest that you do tell them. Then you only have to worry about your job prospects if it turns out badly but that is lass of a worry to how you feel about not knowing.

If you do have to look for another job, there are quite a few reports from people on here where they have been able to find employment after a drink drive conviction, even as teachers.

The same about friends, If they read about it in the newspapers they will gossip about you perhaps, but that is weeks away and in the meantime you are really frightened about what they MIGHT think. Tell them now. Your real friends will be shocked but will support you, the ones that gossip about you are not real friends anyway so don’t worry about what they think.

Family life might be difficult. Have you resolved the argument with your husband and daughter? If not try to work it out so that you have your families support as you go through this process.

Lastly, think about yourself. I see that you came home after a night out and had been drinking and only drove following an argument so you had not intended to drive. BUT you are now in a position where alcohol he’s put you in a real hole. Think about how much you drink and if you should do something about it. Certainly do NOT turn to alcohol to ‘comfort’ you about how you feel at the moment. Alcohol causes many problems, it solves none.
 
SS1234 said:
Do I tell anyone about this? How do explain losing my licence to people? I’m mortified. Drink drivers are judged so badly
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Follow prices advice here. The only thing that I can add is my experience with telling people, almost everyone I told was able to tell me about someone in their family who had been caught. I only really had one person take a very heavy stance on it and fell out with me over it. That was in 2018 and I seen in 2021 they were convicted of drug driving so no one is perfect. People told me I was very stupid but they were glad I was okay, your real friends will not ostracize you for this I promise.
 
Thank you so much for your replies. Any teachers here? Has it affected your work?
 
SS1234 said:
Thank you so much for your replies. Any teachers here? Has it affected your work?
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Shoe gal and trevor442 are ones that come to mind. Look their posts up in the search box on the top right of the screen.
There is also this thread:

ive been to hell

24 month ban, 6 week cerfew lost my job and £145 costs
www.forum.drinkdriving.org
There is someone there called Ally. Her threads are well worth reading about her journey, look them up by clicking on her tile name.
 
SS1234 said:
Has anyone managed to avoid a ban?
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You blew over the limit, there is no way to avoid a ban.

The only solicitors who claim to be able to get you off with the ban are complete con merchants who have ripped other users of this forum off to the tune of ten thousand pounds before telling them to plead guilty on the day.
 
Grice96 is correct, you cannot ‘trade’ a ban for another punishment. If you are found guilty a ban is inevitable, the only debate is the length of it….. which has to be at lease 12 months.
 
Thanks for your replies. I’m just wondering as a couple of solicitors have claimed that if procedures weren’t correctly followed, and I was mentally unstable at the time, I may have a case. Are they just conning me or have people managed to avoid a ban?
 
Mentally unstable is not going to get you anywhere…. But it might get your licence revoked by DVLA!
If there are flaws in the police procedure then you could have a defence, but minor ones count for little.
The usual flaws centre round failure to supply or hospital procedures. I think someone has already pointed out that people have reported on here that they were promised by solicitors that they would be bound to find flaws and they would get them off, sign them up for £6-10,000 in fees and then when it came to court, advised them they should plead guilty!
If the events at the police station are not clear, you can write to the officer in charge at the police station you were detained at, giving your full details and the time / date you were there. Ask to be supplied with a copy of your custody record and a copy of the video relating to your detention.
You are entitled to apply for this yourself, you do not need a solicitor.
You can then compare what was done against the MGDD/A form that the police complete at the time to see if they did in fact follow correct procedure. (This is what solicitors charge you a fortune for doing)
You can see the MGDD/A form here:

 
SS1234 said:
Thanks for your replies. I’m just wondering as a couple of solicitors have claimed that if procedures weren’t correctly followed, and I was mentally unstable at the time, I may have a case. Are they just conning me or have people managed to avoid a ban?
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The kind of mentally unstable that may fly as a defense is a schizophrenic episode or perhaps psychotic detachment. Do you have a medical diagnosis for any of these conditions? Also and the most important part of this defense, the duration of this episode would have had to have lasted until medical intervention. Without kinder words, you would literally have to have been out of your mind when the police came across your car. Anything less than this, will not fly in court as a defense. Since you were able to give breath samples and liaise with the police this defence is already dead in the water.

Also, when a defense like this is successfully mounted you would still have your licence revoked until you were 12 months free from a similar episode. Sadly you are being conned by a solicitor who is banking on you not knowing this.
 
Thank you for your replies.
I keep reading ‘get a good solicitor.’ How? How can I know if they’re good? I’ve had such mixed advice so far and hugely varying costs. I’m in Slough, if anyone knows one near me…please?
 
SS1234 said:
Thank you for your replies.
I keep reading ‘get a good solicitor.’ How? How can I know if they’re good? I’ve had such mixed advice so far and hugely varying costs. I’m in Slough, if anyone knows one near me…please?
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As I said in my comment, any practicing solicitor will be able to handle a guilty plea with mitigation. I can assure you the duty solicitor isn't a hot shot solicitor and there they are defending any case that comes through the court that day and securing the minimum ban and fine possible for many users on this forum.

You've been provided an acceptable price range for that counsel. It will be hard to give you local recommendations as we are based all over the UK on this forum. You just need to ring around until you find someone with an acceptable price which is £400 or less.
 
I can’t find any solicitor who charges less than £1000!
 
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