advice and guidance
updated 05 January 2010

A DIY Guide for Motorists appearing in the Magistrates Court

(now downloaded by more than 3,500 readers up to October 2009)

So you have been summonsed to appear at your local Magistrates Court sometime soon charged with a driving offence. Despite all the misgivings you may have you have decided that your best option is probably to plead guilty to the offence and get it over and done with, but, like most of us, you have never set foot in a Magistrates Court, and there is always a fear of the unknown. 

Are you doing the right thing? Should you instruct a solicitor? If not what is

 the procedure? What will happen? When? Will I get a chance to put my side of the story?

These are the questions that we will answer in our no-nonsense, no jargon, 17 page guide to appearing in the Magistrates Court. We cover

• First Things First - Is there any way out of the matter? 

• Pleading Guilty by Post - If you can, should you and if so how and what to say? 

• Adjourning the Hearing Date - If you can't make it what to do 

• Preparing for Court - Things you need to think about and prepare  

• The Court Proceedings - What happens when, what to say and how to say it 

• After the Court Case - What happens once the court have made their decision 

  "It's a refreshingly simple guide to the procedures that must be gone through when attending court. There's good advice about what to do and how to behave when appearing in court as well as tips on the best policy when trying to minimise any bans etc - even how to apologise to the magistrates and make a difference! Court proceedings and the people involved are covered, explaining the role of each person and the dealings you'll have with them. A well written guide that could take much of the worry out of a court appearance." Pistonheads website review 23/04/04

• Legal Aid - Is there any?

The cost is just £7.50 (including vat) and once you have pre-paid you can either download it or we will email you the Guide as Word document for you to keep and use. The guide covers the procedure in England & Wales only, and has been written by former criminal law solicitor Martin Davies.

You can use PayPal to make your payment safely over the web. Whether or not you have a PayPal account you can use their system to pay us as they also accept all major credit and debit cards. If you would prefer to pay by cheque then we can deal with that too.

Over the last few years our Guide has helped thousands of motorists who have found themselves in court for the first time. They know what is going to happen, what to say and how to keep any penalty to a minimum.

"Thank you so much for the document on speeding. It really helped me today in court. I was looking at a minimum ban of 6 months as I would be on 12 points but with the help of the document I was able to plead mitigating circumstances. They went into recess and came back with the good news 3 points and £350 fine but no ban! It was also really useful to know about the proceedings in advance and the etiquette" . Ross, Sheffield August 2008

There are 2 ways that you can pay for your DIY Guide to the Mags Court

Either   You can pay by credit or debit card or PayPal account, using the PayPal system. You do not have to have a PayPal account to use their system to pay us. Simply click on this link below and follow the instructions. Once you have paid click on the link back to the LAW on the WEB website which will take you to the page on our site where you can instantly download the documents you have paid for. Any problems then email us at sales@lawontheweb.co.uk

Or If you would prefer to pay by cheque or direct credit from your online bank account to our bank account, then email us and we will provide you with all the details you will need.

Send mail to mail@lawontheweb.co.uk  with questions or comments about this web site.