approaching 12 licence points
Perhaps the most common reason for people to instruct motor lawyers is that they are approaching 12 points on their driving licence.
If you would like to read the actual act of parliament, look at section 35 of The Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. Follow this link to the government website:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts1988/ukpga_19880053_en_4
In summary, various motoring offences attract points which are endorsed onto your licence. If you accumulate12 points within 3 years you will be disqualified for a minimum of 6 months (if this is your first disqualification, longer if it is your second or third.)
exceptional hardship
However, if you can satisfy the court that such a disqualification would cause exceptional hardship, the Magistrates may reduce the period of disqualification or even decide not to disqualify at all.
Strangely, the act of parliament does not say exactly what 'exceptional hardship' is. Any number of different circumstances can amount to 'exceptional hardship.'
Of course, the more persuasively those circumstances are explained to the Magistrates, the more likely they are to find that 'exceptional hardship' would be caused.
This is why expert advocacy is so important and it is for this reason that we only ever instruct specialist barristers to present your arguments to the court.
