What does it cost to hire a traffic ticket lawyer/agent?

Picking up the phone and calling costs nothing.

Most traffic ticket lawyers and traffic ticket agents will consult with you for free. They want to find out how they can help before charging you for their time and expertise.

The first meeting.

The first time you meet with your traffic ticket lawyer/agent, they'll gather information about your case. Once they know how complicated the case is, they'll know how much time it will take to resolve.

You'll know up front what you have to pay.

Most traffic ticket lawyers and traffic court agents charge a block fee that will not change. You'll be quoted that fee up front, so you'll know what your defence will cost.

You might save in insurance costs what you spend on your defence.

Using a traffic court agent to represent you can save you money in the end.

Almost all traffic tickets carry demerit points. These points go against your driver's licence and usually result in increased insurance costs. If you get enough demerit points, your driver's licence will be suspended. These hidden costs of a traffic ticket can add up to far more than the fine you will pay.

A traffic ticket lawyer or traffic court agent can usually have the charges dismissed or lowered, resulting in a lower fine and fewer or no demerit points on your licence. This, in turn, will keep your insurance costs down.

Be careful of "we win or you don't pay" guarantees.

Some traffic court agents advertise a guarantee that if they don't win, you don't pay. Be careful of such guarantees. Here is how they usually work.

Usually, the statement "we win or you don't pay" means "if we lose your court case, we will pay the fine for you." Most often, the court agent has built the cost of the fine into their fee. This means they still get paid, even if they lose your court case.

If you are offered a guarantee, make sure you understand exactly what it means. Lawyers and traffic court agents know that very few cases are "guaranteed wins."

Here's the guarantee you should expect.

If you want a guarantee from a traffic ticket lawyer or traffic court agent, here's what you should ask for:

• If you have a defence to the charge they will find it.
• If they can get the charges dismissed altogether they will.
• If they cannot get the charges dismissed, they'll get you the best negotiated deal they can.

And, of course, you should expect them to do their best for you at every step of the way.