Finding a solicitor
- Thread starter Pinkesh
- Start date
C J 1980
Established Member
Pinkesh
I responded to your other thread and understand what a difficult situation you are in.
I cannot advise you about recruiting the services of a solicitor, but if your case has over whelming evidence and you are aiming for a guilty plea, then you might just need to weigh up whether a solicitor is necessary.
If you use a solicitor, there will be a hefty legal bill to pay afterwards for their services. You need to take this into consideration, as you will be looking at court costs, the victim surcharge and any fine the Magistrates bench impose.
When I was arrested for drink driving, I took the bold move that I didn't need a solicitor because I was throwing my hand in at Court and fortunately, the whole experience was not as bad as I thought it would be.
I'll be frank and say, I had sleepless nights before my court appearance, but I did reside myself to the fact I wasn't going to prison (it was my first and only brush with the law) and I could deal with whatever they threw at me.
I understand that this is your second offence and you are rather anxious of the punishment that awaits you next month. Everyone who contributed to the other thread has given a realistic view of the likely outcome (including myself).
Like I said, I cannot advise about using a solicitor - I just thought I'd provide a friendly ear. Unfortunately, I live in Lancashire, so I cannot answer your original question!?!?!?!
CJ
I responded to your other thread and understand what a difficult situation you are in.
I cannot advise you about recruiting the services of a solicitor, but if your case has over whelming evidence and you are aiming for a guilty plea, then you might just need to weigh up whether a solicitor is necessary.
If you use a solicitor, there will be a hefty legal bill to pay afterwards for their services. You need to take this into consideration, as you will be looking at court costs, the victim surcharge and any fine the Magistrates bench impose.
When I was arrested for drink driving, I took the bold move that I didn't need a solicitor because I was throwing my hand in at Court and fortunately, the whole experience was not as bad as I thought it would be.
I'll be frank and say, I had sleepless nights before my court appearance, but I did reside myself to the fact I wasn't going to prison (it was my first and only brush with the law) and I could deal with whatever they threw at me.
I understand that this is your second offence and you are rather anxious of the punishment that awaits you next month. Everyone who contributed to the other thread has given a realistic view of the likely outcome (including myself).
Like I said, I cannot advise about using a solicitor - I just thought I'd provide a friendly ear. Unfortunately, I live in Lancashire, so I cannot answer your original question!?!?!?!
CJ
Polly3
Established Member
I think that you have had most of the same advice already . I personally think that it is worth finding a solicitor and obtaining representation. If I were you , and it were not too far out of my way , I’d probably take a trip to the Court where I’m due to appear and see which firms are representing clients . As I stated in a pm to you, these firms will be the most familiar with this court and will be the best placed to advise .
Pinkesh
Member
Thanks for your replies guys, I know some of you have advised me already I just thought others may know solicitors near me who can help as I've never used any before and would like to use someone on recommendation based on thier own or close experience.
Thanks again for your input everyone
Thanks again for your input everyone
Polly3
Established Member
It’s absolutely right to get plenty of advice. Good luck .
KirstyW90
New Member
Hi,
I got caught drink driving back in June. I looked online and spoke to numerous lawyers around London for representation and eventually went with Geoffrey Miller. I believe they cover all of London. I can highly recommend them. They were so supportive and fantastic on the day. Really helped in the build up as well as my court date was only 2 weeks after my arrest. I'd 100% recommend them!
GGG
Well Known Member
Geoffrey Miller charged me £2400 to represent me on a guilty plea, absolute thieves, they claim to be drink drive case specialists which is not what you need As I have said shop around solicitors near to your location, £300 to £400 is what you should expect to pay, possibly a bit more if in London. Don't get fleeced by there company's
Sundog
Established Member
When I got done, I phoned around a few firms claiming to be specialists.
Almost all were adamant they could get me off, find a procedural issue on which to do this, get it deferred etc. etc, but of course with absolutely no guarantee other than a sizeable fee.
Nonetheless I was all up for trying, until I spoke to one guy (a very friendly, very honest Irish fella if remember rightly), who was the most honest of the lot. He said all these people will do is encourage you to plead NG on the off-chance or hope that they can find an error at a later date, but with absolutely no guarantee that they can. As is the case mentioned above, he said basically they will charge on a sliding/continuous basis, but it would most probably cost upwards of £3k all told, only for the same outcome; or worse given that a failed NG plea will be at the sacrifice any leniency from the court.
So eventually, I went on recommendations and settled on a lawyer based local to the court, who knew the magistrates and probation officers well, who knew how the press moved and how/when to try and get my case heard to avoid that.
During the consultation he basically told me to give up on forlorn hope of getting off, accept that I was guilty, and that the best course of action was to plead for leniency given my personal circumstances at the time.
It was about £700, but given that I avoided any press coverage, avoided community service in lieu of a HUGE fine and lengthy ban, and was offered the course; I don’t regret using him.
It was probably the best money I could spend in the face of a dire situation. He and the probation officer quite successfully argued that to do CS would only compound the miseries I was going through further, i.e. salvaging my career, repairing some personal issues and having regular access to my kids (particularly given that I was going through a miserable divorce at the time).
I would probably have faired even better WRT leniency had I not had the misfortune to be judged by a district judge rather than a magistrate, owing to staff shortages. There was very little clemency to be had, but they managed to get it.
I still do wonder if I’d tried to get off would it have been successful, but given the increasing desperation with which some of these guys were phoning back as the court date approached (even on the morning of the hearing, with one offering ‘to work with my lawyer’ on the day) did little other than convince me that many of these guys are just ambulance chasers of a different cause.
As both the Irish fella and my lawyer both said, if Messrs McPartlin and Rooney were unable to find a loophole to crawl through, it’s unlikely I would. They were most probably bang-on.
Just my advice, and I with you every success with your case. I hope that whatever transpires is as good as it can be for you; like many others I know all too well how desperate you must be feeling right now. But keep going.
Almost all were adamant they could get me off, find a procedural issue on which to do this, get it deferred etc. etc, but of course with absolutely no guarantee other than a sizeable fee.
Nonetheless I was all up for trying, until I spoke to one guy (a very friendly, very honest Irish fella if remember rightly), who was the most honest of the lot. He said all these people will do is encourage you to plead NG on the off-chance or hope that they can find an error at a later date, but with absolutely no guarantee that they can. As is the case mentioned above, he said basically they will charge on a sliding/continuous basis, but it would most probably cost upwards of £3k all told, only for the same outcome; or worse given that a failed NG plea will be at the sacrifice any leniency from the court.
So eventually, I went on recommendations and settled on a lawyer based local to the court, who knew the magistrates and probation officers well, who knew how the press moved and how/when to try and get my case heard to avoid that.
During the consultation he basically told me to give up on forlorn hope of getting off, accept that I was guilty, and that the best course of action was to plead for leniency given my personal circumstances at the time.
It was about £700, but given that I avoided any press coverage, avoided community service in lieu of a HUGE fine and lengthy ban, and was offered the course; I don’t regret using him.
It was probably the best money I could spend in the face of a dire situation. He and the probation officer quite successfully argued that to do CS would only compound the miseries I was going through further, i.e. salvaging my career, repairing some personal issues and having regular access to my kids (particularly given that I was going through a miserable divorce at the time).
I would probably have faired even better WRT leniency had I not had the misfortune to be judged by a district judge rather than a magistrate, owing to staff shortages. There was very little clemency to be had, but they managed to get it.
I still do wonder if I’d tried to get off would it have been successful, but given the increasing desperation with which some of these guys were phoning back as the court date approached (even on the morning of the hearing, with one offering ‘to work with my lawyer’ on the day) did little other than convince me that many of these guys are just ambulance chasers of a different cause.
As both the Irish fella and my lawyer both said, if Messrs McPartlin and Rooney were unable to find a loophole to crawl through, it’s unlikely I would. They were most probably bang-on.
Just my advice, and I with you every success with your case. I hope that whatever transpires is as good as it can be for you; like many others I know all too well how desperate you must be feeling right now. But keep going.
Recovered22
Established Member
Geoffrey Miller are scam artists who bank on peoples hopes. Ring local solicitors and ask for the price for, "a guilty plea and mitigation" a friend of mine living in London paid £450 and received the minimum ban and fine. I paid £170 in NI and received the minimum ban and fine.
Polly3
Established Member
Brilliant advice
Benn
New Member
When I faced a court appearance, I went into total panic mode and contacted a few "specialist" drink driving solicitors who assured me they could help "present the right mitigations" for a fee of £1500 + VAT even though I said I intended to plead guilty. I contacted a couple of local solicitors - the first agreed to represent me for £300 then didn't ring me back. The second, luckily, was due to be the duty solicitor on the day of my court appearance anyway and agreed to represent me for nothing. He also had the advantage of knowing the Court/Magistrates etc. So my advice is to go with a solicitor local to the Court you are to appear before and try to find out who will be the duty solicitor on the day of your court appearance. I found a spreadsheet online with this info, failing that ring around the solicitors in the place you are due to appear and ask. Above all speak to whoever you want to represent you well ahead of time. Good luck
Polly3
Established Member
This is top advice. A local solicitor, with knowledge of the Court is so worth it. The only limitation re relying on Duty Solicitor is that they are often rushed off their feet, so they will not have as much time to spend with you beforehand as a solicitor acting in a non “ duty” capacity. This may well not matter to most people but some like to have their case prepared in advance/ need more contact.
Benn
New Member
Absolutely agree with you - in my case I had made contact with the duty solicitor 2 weeks ahead of my court appearance so he had paperwork, character references etc well before we met at the court and , crucially, I had his contact details for any questions etc
Jimbo2167
Member
Drink Driving Penalty Calculator
Our drink driving penalty calculator will give you an idea of the likely sentence you will receive at Magistrates Court.
Not sure if you have seen this?
BigTom
Established Member
For a straightforward guilty plea, you can either do it yourself, use the duty solicitor (if they are available) or just use a local general solicitor. The third option should cost you no more than £300 - £400. Do not use a 'specialist solicitor' who will promise you the earth and cost you £2,000 - £10,000+. If you are bang to rights and just looking to enter mitigation, a local solicitor is more than sufficient.
C J 1980
Established Member
Morning
As I have alluded to previously - enlisting the help of a solicitor can be a costly affair and none of us on this forum can advise others whether it would be appropriate or not to use a solicitor.
In my own experience - I was 'bang to rights' with my arrest and conviction in February 2019. I knew a solicitor would not rescue me from a ban and I decided to go it alone at the Magistrates Court. Because, I was not entitled to legal aid, I kind of represented myself in the court room which wasn't too bad.
The Prosecution barrister from the CPS will always be present in court and they will stand up and address the Magistrates bench with the circumstances of the case. The bench then asked me to stand up and ask me to say anything in defence.
This was the perfect opportunity to openly apologise to the bench, highlight I was not going to contest the Prosecution barristers remarks and just explain a little bit about my present circumstances since the arrest (such as loss of job). I also asked if I could be considered for a community service punishment rather than a home detention curfew - this was because I fell into the HRO category and they referred me to probation.
What Magistrates will do if they are unhappy about defendants representing themselves - they will adjourn the case accordingly. This might happen if they feel the defendant is not best placed to do thinks on their own (if say there are mental health issues) or there is some ambiguity about the evidence.
It is merely a judgement call if you chose to go it alone without a solicitor.
CJ
As I have alluded to previously - enlisting the help of a solicitor can be a costly affair and none of us on this forum can advise others whether it would be appropriate or not to use a solicitor.
In my own experience - I was 'bang to rights' with my arrest and conviction in February 2019. I knew a solicitor would not rescue me from a ban and I decided to go it alone at the Magistrates Court. Because, I was not entitled to legal aid, I kind of represented myself in the court room which wasn't too bad.
The Prosecution barrister from the CPS will always be present in court and they will stand up and address the Magistrates bench with the circumstances of the case. The bench then asked me to stand up and ask me to say anything in defence.
This was the perfect opportunity to openly apologise to the bench, highlight I was not going to contest the Prosecution barristers remarks and just explain a little bit about my present circumstances since the arrest (such as loss of job). I also asked if I could be considered for a community service punishment rather than a home detention curfew - this was because I fell into the HRO category and they referred me to probation.
What Magistrates will do if they are unhappy about defendants representing themselves - they will adjourn the case accordingly. This might happen if they feel the defendant is not best placed to do thinks on their own (if say there are mental health issues) or there is some ambiguity about the evidence.
It is merely a judgement call if you chose to go it alone without a solicitor.
CJ
Pinkesh
Member
I'd like to thank everyone for their input and update on the outcome of my case.
Against all advice I did get a specialist driving offence solicitor as I thought I might have a better chance at a lesser sentence.
In hindsight I really believe it was a huge waste of money and the firm really only told me what I had already been advised and researched on this forum. They simply took a statement from me and advised me to collect character references which I did. They then sent a lawyer to represent me in court who actually did a good job and was very helpful, the lawyer was really like a subcontracter and cost the firm a small fraction of what I paid to them.
He was not from the firm and wasn't even sure who had sent him to represent me so I really should've gone directly to him.
The people I dealt with in the firm were not great and often late with replies and on "leave" although they were quick prior to this asking for payment before they could represent me.
For anyone else in my position I would say that the advice given on this forum was the best and to seek your own lawyer rather than pay hefty commission to others for barely any input where they simply just send someone to represent you.
I was given a 40 months ban along with a requirement to attend courses and a long unpaid work of over 200 hours.
If anyone needs help or more information you are welcome to contact me.
Against all advice I did get a specialist driving offence solicitor as I thought I might have a better chance at a lesser sentence.
In hindsight I really believe it was a huge waste of money and the firm really only told me what I had already been advised and researched on this forum. They simply took a statement from me and advised me to collect character references which I did. They then sent a lawyer to represent me in court who actually did a good job and was very helpful, the lawyer was really like a subcontracter and cost the firm a small fraction of what I paid to them.
He was not from the firm and wasn't even sure who had sent him to represent me so I really should've gone directly to him.
The people I dealt with in the firm were not great and often late with replies and on "leave" although they were quick prior to this asking for payment before they could represent me.
For anyone else in my position I would say that the advice given on this forum was the best and to seek your own lawyer rather than pay hefty commission to others for barely any input where they simply just send someone to represent you.
I was given a 40 months ban along with a requirement to attend courses and a long unpaid work of over 200 hours.
If anyone needs help or more information you are welcome to contact me.
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