Funding & Fixed Fees

Funding & Fixed Fee

As a means to remain competitive we offer the following fixed fees for legal advice at the police station which include travel and waiting. While we understand the nuances of each matter there will be times where we can apply changes at the discretion of the firm’s Director.
From the 6th December 2018 the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) now requires firms to publish price and service information on their website.

At SKB Legal we have adopted the SRA’s transparency rules with a transparent pricing policy. We aim to be realistic about the likely costs in your case and will provide you with an estimate of total costs at the outset. The services specified in the regulations which are applicable to the areas of law practised by this firm relate to the provision of advice and representation at the Magistrates Court in relation to summary only road traffic offences dealt with at a single hearing. A summary only offence is an offence which can only be dealt with at a Magistrates Court. While this can encompass a very wide range of offences for further information on whether a specific offence is a summary only offence, please refer to Schedule 2 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, which can be accessed via the following link: – Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988

Please note that we do not offer Legal Aid at this firm or free legal advice & assistance through the Duty Solicitor Scheme.

The Key Stages and Timescales:

The key stages of your matter are based on the presumption that you have entered a not guilty plea.

• Meet with your solicitor to provide initial instructions on what happened.
• We will consider initial disclosure, and any other evidence and provide advice.
• Arranging to take your full instructions and any witness statements if necessary
• Preparing your statement and witnesses statements
• We will explain the court procedure to you so you know what to expect on the day of your hearings and the sentencing options available to the court.
• We will conduct any further preparatory work, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow up queries you have.
• We cannot provide a timescale of when your hearing will take place, as this depends on the court listing for that day.
• We will discuss the outcome with you. If advice and representation is required on appeal, this will carry an additional cost.

The Fee Does Not Include:

• Instruction of any expert witnesses
• Advice or assistance in relation to any appeal

Disbursements:

There are disbursements that are associated with undertaking certain Magistrates Court work. Although we do not charge VAT, as these fees are billed directly some may attract VAT at a rate of 20%. The list of disbursements is not exhaustive, however some of the more common disbursements could include:

• Travel Disbursements – these include a mileage charge at £0.25 per mile, parking fees and public transport costs where the hearing to be covered is outside a 20 mile radius of either Luton or London offices. The amount charged will depend upon the distance travelled from our offices. Car Parking is likely to be between £2.50 and £25 depending on the time spent and the location of the car park. These disbursements are generally subject to VAT at a rate of 20%.
• Expert Witnesses – It may be necessary to instruct an expert witness in your case. It is difficult to estimate the cost of this as it varies from individual to individual. The fee can be agreed on an hourly basis or a fixed cost. The fee will be agreed with you prior to instructing any experts. Typically in an uncomplicated case the fees range from £1,000 – £2,000. However, these are just estimates and an accurate cost will be communicated to you, if an expert is required. The expert fees are generally subject to VAT at a rate of 20%.
• Photocopying – there is a photocopying charge where we are instructed to copy bundles or make up additional copies. We would usually charge these costs at 0.10p per page exclusive of VAT at a rate of 20%, or we can agree a fixed fee if the bundle of documents are overly substantial.

Timescale:

Although it is difficult to estimate how long a Traffic offence will take to be completed in general, Magistrate court cases are completed within three (3) months of the first hearing. However, it is extremely difficult to generalise about the length of cases and if you require more precise estimates of the duration of your case, please do not hesitate to speak to one of our advisors. You will be aware that the recent pandemic has had an impact on the time it is taking for matters to progress, which are outside of our control. There may be scenarios where your case is adjourned, or a trial not heard due to insufficient court time. These situations are very often outside of our control. In this type of situation, it will be for our firm’s Director to undertake a routine, but careful assessment, of whether additional fees are required which we can offer on a fixed fee basis considering each element of the additional work required.