On the day of your first hearing our representative will meet you in the waiting room by calling out your name before the case is called into court.
In the meantime you should sign in with the court staff (ushers) and confirm National Motoring Lawyers are dealing with your case.
In the unlikely event our representative is delayed for any reason do not panic (!) as they will ask the magistrates for the case to be put back if necessary to allow time to go through everything with you.
You will have every opportunity to ask any questions and confirm to the lawyer the approach you wish to take to the case.
When your case is called into court you will be asked to stand whilst confirming your name and address and your not guilty plea.
You will then be asked to take a seat whilst our representative explains to the court what the case is about and they will take the court through the Preparation for effective trial form (known as the ‘PET' form).
We will usually ask for video footage and documentation from the arrest, detention and specimen procedures to check for mistakes in police procedure.
The prosecution are typically given a date 28 days after the first hearing to supply this material.
Once the case has been discussed your case will be adjourned which will allow time for us to prepare your defence and write to the prosecution to discontinue the charges where appropriate.
If you follow our advice to plead not guilty you will be able to continue driving assuming there are no bail conditions and you have a full driving licence.
We will then review the evidence and advise you on the strength of the case from around 6 weeks after the first hearing up until the trial which is usually 3 to 6 months later. It may be shorter or longer in some cases.
A high proportion of successful cases are achieved by persuading the prosecutor to discontinue charges before the trial therefore you should not be unduly concerned by critical remarks towards the defence from the magistrates or the judge at the first hearing.
Next steps
Contact the office if you would like to continue and arrange payment of the initial £165 deposit here
Call Our Experts Now
Free Helpline:
Spend just 5 to 10 minutes with us answering a few questions about your case and give yourself the possibility of avoiding a criminal record and driving ban.
We are open for calls any day until 9pm
Contact Form
Click here to go to our On-Line Contact Form
Or click here to Email for free advice now.
Call Our Experts Now
Free Helpline:
Spend just 5 to 10 minutes with us answering a few questions about your case and give yourself the possibility of avoiding a criminal record and driving ban.
We are open for calls any day until 9pm
Contact Us Now
Free Telephone Helpline – we are open for calls any day until 9pm on 0800 0443 730
OR click here to Email for free advice now
DDS is a trading name of National Lawyer Services, a firm of Solicitors of England and Wales, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA499283.
You can access the SRA's rules of conduct here www.sra.org.uk/consumers/who-we-are/sra-regulate/
Postal enquiries: 3rd Floor, 51/52 Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH41 5AS. VAT number 795 3482 83. Full T&Cs are provided with our welcome pack.
The firm's fees include VAT at the prevailing rate and our invoices will separately identify the amount of VAT that has been charged.
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