How do I choose the right solicitor for me?

We recognise it can be challenging to choose the right solicitor for you. You are likely in a state of panic and at your most vulnerable when facing a charge for drink or drug driving or any motoring offence for that matter.

We have therefore outlined a number of ways we recommend you do your research before you choose your solicitor:

One of the most effective tools for selecting a drink or drug driving solicitor is online reviews and testimonials. Check reputable review websites and legal directories to gain insights into the experiences of previous clients. Look for solicitors with a track record of success and positive feedback, as it indicates their competence and client satisfaction.

Geoffrey Miller Solicitors, for instance, boasts numerous positive reviews that highlight our expertise, professionalism, and dedication to achieving favourable outcomes for our clients.

When it comes to drink driving cases, it is essential to choose a solicitor who specializes in this area of law. Geoffrey Miller Solicitors stands out as a leading firm in the UK, focusing exclusively on motoring offences, including drink driving, drug driving, failing to provide and all manner of motoring offences. Our extensive experience and specialized knowledge in this field allows us to navigate complex legal processes and build strong cases on behalf of our clients. By choosing a solicitor with expertise in this specialised field as opposed to a “Jack of all trades” you increase your chances of obtaining the best possible outcome.

A valuable tool for selecting a drink driving solicitor is the availability of a free initial consultation. This allows you to discuss your case and concerns with the solicitor before making a decision. Geoffrey Miller Solicitors offers a no-obligation, free initial consultation, giving you the opportunity to assess their approach, understand their strategies, and determine if we are the right fit for your needs. This personalized interaction helps build trust and confidence in the solicitor-client relationship.

When choosing a drink driving solicitor, it is important to consider success rates and past case studies. Some solicitors refuse to publish success rates which we find bizarre. This demonstrates an archaic approach to data analysis which is a key component of successful business operation and legal strategy. We are clear on our winning AND losing cases yet some solicitors will boast only of the successes and are conspicuously silent on the losing case data. Again, some solicitors will publish a success rate % but then fail to disclose the numbers that make up that %.

Surely you want to work with solicitors who are transparent not only about the positive but also the risks and negative consequences of the strategy they propose? For more information about the risks of defending a case, we have produced a detailed blog where we analyse the data we hold for our losing cases: https://www.motoroffence.co.uk/pleading-not-guilty-an-analysis-of-the-risks/

We also proudly share our impressive success rates on our website, demonstrating our ability to achieve positive outcomes for our clients. We also track multiple aspects of the data we collect so that if you want more specific details of data relating to your case type, geographic location, level of alcohol or drug reading, this can be produced on request. This does not mean that we are able to place a % chance of success on the merits of your own case by applying our track record data but it certainly helps to show a trend of success. Wouldn’t you rather work with solicitors who have a watchful eye on performance and are transparent with you about this than the lawyer who makes outlandish and inaccurate remarks such as “statistics are the biggest lie in the legal industry!” as a way of hiding the fact that they do not have a positive track record or measure their own performance?

Another crucial aspect to consider is the solicitor’s approach and the level of support they provide throughout your case. Geoffrey Miller Solicitors are known for our personalized and empathetic approach, understanding the stress and complexities involved in drink driving and drug driving cases. We offer dedicated client support, ensuring that you receive clear and prompt communication, regular updates on your case, and guidance at every step of the process. This level of support can provide you with peace of mind during a challenging time.

Some lawyers will sell their services by assuring you they will be the person preparing your case and in court “on the front line” with you. We think this set up is a recipe for disaster! With the best will in the world, if your lawyer is in court on a regular basis, they simply cannot have the availability to provide proactive and reactive support to you or to your case. Phones must be switched off when in court so you may find repeated instances of simply not being able to speak with your representative.

We have an unusual set up with a team of office based legally qualified and dedicated case handlers preparing your case and we have a team of barristers and solicitor advocates whose role is to attend court. We find that our most talented court advocates are rarely the best at case preparation or client communication, but they are gifted at articulating legal argument. In our view, this is one of the reasons why our client reviews ooze with praise about client service and support as well as outstanding results in our cases.

You may be shopping around on price. This is a challenge in itself due to different charging structures out there and a huge range of prices when not comparing like for like. Most seemingly low cost fixed fee solicitors have a set price for the work they do for you with a VERY long list of extras that will likely be required but ar not included in the price quoted.

Geoffrey Miller Solicitors offer “all inclusive” agreed fee packages with no hidden extras. Our prices are competitive when compared on a like for like basis.

Legal aid is not an option if you wish to have Geoffrey Miller Solicitors represent you and will likely be unavailable for a motoring case.

The Duty Solicitor Scheme is managed by the Legal Aid Agency that ensures each Magistrates’ court will have one or more solicitor allocated to any given court session. A Duty Solicitor must be a member of the Law Society’s Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme and is a local solicitor who participates in a rota for the day. The duty scheme is an additional accreditation that a solicitor must pass to demonstrate competence criteria set by the Law Society.

If you attend court without representation and wish to speak to a duty solicitor. You can request to speak with the duty solicitor when at court. The Duty Solicitor should be able to provide some legal advice and possibly represent you during your hearing. However, the duty solicitor’s role is to represent any person who is charged with an offence for which you can receive a prison sentence for the first court hearing. Therefore, they may not have the ability to spend time helping with your case and I would always recommend engaging a lawyer in advance of attending court if you want someone to talk on your behalf.

You can make an application for legal aid to pay for a solicitor at the magistrates’ court. However this will be dependant on your income and typically, legal aid will not be available for most motoring cases.

You are only permitted to take advantage of duty solicitor assistance on one occasion in relation to each matter charged. So, you would not be able to enlist assistance from a duty solicitor to help you at a first hearing and then at a trial.

You could look into legal aid lawyers who may be able to help by visiting the Government website: https://find-legal-advice.justice.gov.uk/.  If you enter your postcode and the area of law for which you require assistance, this will highlight the local law firms.   Each law firm will be able to advise if they have the capacity and experience to assist with your case.

Legal aid lawyers tend not to have the strategic knowledge that we employ as specialists in the field of motoring law and will usually recommend that a guilty plea is entered unless there is a factual defence such as you did not drive.

Don’t just choose a solicitor who offers a guarantee of success or suggests they can achieve an early discontinuance of your case. Discontinuances are common in the work we do but not usually at the early stages of the case. There are also many ways in which early communication with the police about your case could backfire. We have outlined more information about this in our blog analysing our discontinuance data (we told you we like our data!)

https://www.motoroffence.co.uk/confused-by-a-promise-of-a-discontinuance/

We suggest you ask your solicitor what their approach would be to strategy in your case. If they come out with remarks like “You are flogging a dead horse” or “You will be throwing mud at the wall and hoping it sticks” we suggest this is another way of demonstrating a lack of knowledge and expertise and trying to suggest you should simply accept what they consider to be the inevitable and would be the inevitable if you use their services!

Geoffrey Miller Solicitors are pioneers in the field of motoring law. We are the firm that the industry watches. We have an arsenal of ammunition that we apply in our cases that is largely unique and not known by other supposed expert solicitors. We invest heavily in bespoke software, training, innovation, strategy and we simply never stand still. When the law evolves and strategies are less effective, we create new ways of achieving our clients’ goals. Many lawyers will advise a different approach to us. We say this is because they simply do not know what they do not know. How could they if they do the same thing over and over again when the law is an ever evolving process?

How do you assess this? Again, we point you to the information out there in the public arena on review sites. We also offer a unique interactive feedback scheme on our website https://www.motoroffence.co.uk/ask-our-clients/ where you can independently approach volunteer previous clients to ask about their experience. We also have a wealth of clients who have volunteered to have their details disclosed to anyone seeking to have a chat direct with a previous client of the firm. Our integrity is at the heart of what we do.