Summary Only and Magistrates’ Offences Pricing

Thank you for looking at this firm’s services for cases dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court. This firm’s pricing relates to all Summary only offences and offences that can be dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court but are dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court.

Pricing

We undertake fixed fees in respect of all offences dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court where the client is ineligible for Legal Aid or does not wish to apply for Legal Aid. Our fees will usually include the following:

1. Obtaining and considering the evidence, attending upon you and taking your full instructions and taking statements from witnesses (within Greater London area and Essex),

2. Advising you on the strengths and weaknesses of the case against you, advising you as to whether or not you have a defence to the allegation, if not taking details with regards to mitigation, and representing you at Court itself including 1st appearances.

We anticipate that your case is dealt with under our fixed fee service. We have also set below our hourly rate service for the very rare occasions when the Magistrates’ case cannot be dealt with by way of a fixed fee.

A) Fixed Fee – Representation at 1st Court Appearance – Amount, VAT and Total

Fixed Fee - £400 plus £80 VAT making a total of £480.00.

• Taking instructions at Court. Advising on plea. Representation at the hearing. Result confirmed in writing.

B) Fixed Fee – Appointment in the office and Representation at 1st Court Appearance.

£500 plus £100 VAT making a total of £600.00.

• Includes seeing the client for up to 1 – 1 ½ hours in the office to take instructions before the 1st Court hearing. Fee includes obtaining IDPC papers from the CPS, attending Court on your behalf on the day of the hearing, taking your further instructions (in addition to the meeting at the office prior to your first attendance) as well as at Court itself. Confirming and advising on the outcome and the next steps to be taken. Usually this covers guilty pleas which are dealt with at the first hearing.

C) Appointment in office, Representation at the 1st Court Appearance and Trial

£1200.00 plus £240 VAT making a total of £1440.00.

• That includes seeing the client for up to 1 – 1 ½ hours in the office to take instructions before the 1st Court hearing. Fee includes obtaining IDPC papers from the CPS, attending Court on your behalf on the day of the hearing, taking your instructions either at a further meeting at the office prior to your Trial or at Court itself. Confirming and advising on the outcome and the next steps to be taken.
• This also includes representation at both the first hearing and subsequent trial (1 day or less). The Trial includes the whole trial encompassing Cross Examination of Prosecution witnesses, Examination-in-Chief of any Defence Witnesses (including the defendant and Experts) and Closing Speech. Letter confirming outcome and next steps. Includes advice on the merits of any Appeal (but not the Appeal itself).
• If there is more than the first procedural hearing in the Magistrates’ Court then there will be an additional £350 plus VAT for each additional hearing over and above the first appearance and Trial (1 day or less).
• For any additional days over and above the first day of the Trial (includes any additional day/part of the day in addition to the 1st day) then there will be an additional fee of £450 plus VAT.

Exclusions

The above fixed fees do not include the additional costs.

a) Instruction of any Expert Witnesses – You will be advised that the cost of any Expert Witnesses (whether or not they are called as part of your case). You will not incur any Expert Witness fees unless specifically consented and agreed by you.

b) Providing advice or assistance on any grounds/merits of appeal.

c) Representation at Court outside the Greater London or Essex area.

d) If your case is a case dealt with in the Crown Court the Solicitor with conduct of your case will discuss fees with you. These fees relate only to cases dealt with in the Magistrates’ Court.

Hourly Rate Cases

These will be discussed with you where, in all the circumstances it is felt that the level of expertise of the Solicitor, the particular circumstances of your case overall and your own requirements are such that we will undertake your case on an hourly rate basis. It is not anticipated that there will be many cases that will fall into this category, and this is something that will be discussed with you by the Solicitor representing you, and for the reasons outlined above, wish to instruct this firm on an hourly rate basis. The hourly rates are as follows:

a) £285 (plus VAT) for a solicitor of more than 8 years qualification.

b) £225 for a solicitor of more than 4 years qualification.

c) £150 all other solicitors.

d) £125 for Paralegals and Trainee Solicitors.

Key Milestones

The following key milestones, which may vary according to different circumstances, are in our view as follows:

a) Meeting with your Solicitor to provide instructions.

b) Copy of the IDPC papers/disclosure papers and the case that face.

c) Obtaining your instructions for mitigation in respect of your Trial and any additional procedural hearings, any sentence hearing and obtaining any character references.

d) Representing you at Trial and/or Sentence