Driving whilst disqualified is considered an absolute offence, which means no fault elements are needed to declare an offender guilty. This means that if you are caught at the wheels while you are banned from driving, your chances of escaping punishment are slim to none.

However, in some cases, you might be able to find some wiggle room if you have a solid defence. If you find yourself in that scenario, you must seek help from motoring offence solicitors to ensure that you have adequate justification to mitigate your penalty. Unfortunately, your odds of getting the offence reversed altogether are non-existent since it is seen as a major crime.

What Happens When You Are Caught Driving After Disqualification?

If the police catch you in a motor vehicle whilst you are disqualified, you will be immediately taken to the police station. You cannot escape this fate because officers will only listen to you after you have been arrested. That is, you will be interviewed after you have been photographed at the station and your fingerprints and a DNA test have been taken.

What Is The Penalty For Driving Whilst Disqualified?

There are many motor offences that a person can commit, but if they are caught behind the wheels while they are banned, they will face severe punishment.

The penalties for driving whilst disqualified include

• A fine up to £5000.
• An extension to your driving ban
• Six points of penalty on your driving license
• Community service
• Mandatory attendance at motor safety seminars
• A curfew
• Imprisonment up to 12 months

Your punishment may be more severe depending on your ban period. That is, the longer the ban period you have been given, the more serious your offence will be. Hence, your penalty could be more severe, such as longer imprisonment.

Moreover, it must be noted that your driving ban period will be decided based on your motor offence track record. If you get 12+ points within 3 years, you will be disqualified for 6 months. If you are charged a second time within 3 years, your disqualification duration will go up to 12 months. Lastly, if you are disqualified a third time within the same 3 years, you will be banned for 2 years.

What Defences Are There When Caught Driving Whilst Ban?

Although there aren’t many justifications that you can give to save yourself from the penalty for driving while banned, you can try to appeal for leniency in magistrate court on the basis of the following accounts.

• You were not driving the vehicle.
• You were not driving on a public road with other motor vehicles
• The police made an error and that you weren’t disqualified or that your disqualification period had passed a while back.

If you present a well-supported case in magistrate court, you can get your sentence or fine reduced.

However, as already mentioned, getting lenient treatment when caught driving whilst banned is almost impossible unless you are absolutely certain you are not guilty.

The best practice in such a scenario would be to reach out to motor offence solicitors and let them study your case. If they believe that you are indeed innocent, they may guide you to apply for a plea in court.

There are a few situations in which you or your loved ones may be being deported from the United Kingdom. This can happen to both foreign nationals and citizens of the UK. In such situations, you can contest your deportation on certain grounds, which include a change in circumstances or new information brought to light.

Thus, hiring solicitors to draft and apply for a revocation of a deportation order can potentially change your ruling if there are faults made in your conviction.

With that said, this article discusses deportation in the UK and how you can possibly revoke it.

Details about Deportation in the UK

Deportation is the process of forcibly removing an individual from the UK for the ‘public good.’ The Home Office enforces this removal, and it does it to individuals who are typically serving a prison sentence in the United Kingdom. Any individual with a prison sentence of greater than 12 months is considered for deportation as that is in the benefit of the public, according to the Immigration Rules.

It’s important to understand that being a British citizen doesn’t necessarily mean that you are safe from deportation. There are two ways that the Home Department Secretary of State can strip your citizenship: deprivation and nullity. The latter involves fraudulent identity.

Deprivation is the process of removing a person’s British citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1891, Section 40. The grounds for deprivation include false representation, fraud, because it’s in the betterment of the public, or concealing a material fact. The Secretary of State can make the case that it is conducive to the public good if the individual is involved in war crimes, serious organised crime, or terrorism.

Revocation of a Deportation Order

Revocation of a deportation order is done after the deportation has already occurred. You can apply for one through a solicitor if you and your legal team believe that there’s a chance to change the original order. Therefore, you can do so when there’s a change in circumstances.

For example, revocation can be in the interest of a community. In addition to that, you can also apply for revocation if it is in your interest, which includes compassionate circumstances.

Deportation solicitors in the UK can also help you with your revocation if there is new information available that can overturn the original ruling. It is always in your benefit to first discuss your options with experienced solicitors before you make any decision.

They can guide you on how to proceed with your case. They can also help you with applying for re-entry to the United Kingdom under the Immigration Rules. Thus, the revocation does not entitle anyone to be able to re-enter the UK right away. Seeking admission is necessary for that.

This area of law is complex and life-changing for the affected, so make sure to hire a competent team of experienced solicitors.

If you have a successful company in the UK, you may consider expanding to other parts of Europe, where you can expect a significant consumer base. The expansion to other areas creates offices that are known as branches.

Branches are simply smaller divisions of parent companies in different locations. Of course, creating branches will require a lot of legal work to be able to set up a branch there and facilitate its operation. Thus, this article explains a few factors you must consider to have your branch offices in Europe operate well.

Details Regarding Opening and the Operation of Branch Offices in Europe for a UK-Based Company

Businesses often create branches to manage administrative operations in the locations that they serve. For example, if you have an online retail store that ships products to certain countries in Europe (outside of the UK), you can set up branch offices there to manage logistic operations and others. This can also be a good option for businesses that have relatively low risk.

Legal Concerns When Opening and Operating Branch Offices in Europe

Any branch in Europe will be an extension of your company in the UK—not a distinct entity. Thus, you must present legal evidence of the existence of your UK company to be able to open a branch in another country.

You will also need to register with the VAT authorities and present exactly what it is that your parent company does and what the branches will do. You cannot operate your branch in other parts of Europe without first performing these tasks. These are required both for UK authorities and the country’s authorities where you plan to set up the branches.

Hire International Law Solicitors for Legal Help

Operating branch offices is a complex matter. There are laws of the specific countries, their regional laws, and even certain laws and regulations of the EU. That’s why you should hire international lawyers based in the UK. They will be aware of all of the details about specific countries’ laws regarding this matter. As a result, they are much less likely to miss out on any details or make errors than any UK-based lawyer.

Your solicitors will offer the right legal guidance on all aspects of this matter, showing you what you must do to make sure that you don’t run into any legal troubles in the future. Some solicitors can also overview the entire process of opening branches, explaining whether it’s even worth the investment.

Final Words

The operation of branch offices in Europe for a UK-based company will require a lot of legal work. Thus, you should never entrust this process to solicitors who have no experience or limited knowledge of this specific legal area. You could end up losing a lot of money by overlooking even small details.

What are HMRC offences in the UK? To understand that, you first need to have a basic understanding of the HMRC. The HMRC stands for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. It is, thus, a part of the UK Government as a non-ministerial department. Its major role is to ensure that all taxes are collected, national insurance numbers are issued, certain state support payments are made, and other administrative work related to regulatory regimes such as the minimum wage in the UK is decided and maintained.

Therefore, HMRC offences pertain mostly to tax evasions for individuals and companies. This article gives you a brief overview of what these offences are, and it explains what you must do if you are ever found making these offences.

HMRC Offences in the UK – An Overview

HMRC offences are criminal and civil offences. Therefore, there are two types of HMRC investigation officers: civil fraud investigators and criminal investigators. Civil fraud investigators are typically deployed during certain circumstances as a cost-effective option. Criminal investigation officers handle more severe cases of criminal activity. The use of these investigators also acts as a means of deterrence for others who may consider such criminal activity that warrants the attention of the HMRC.

It’s important to note that the HMRC will not consider civil fraud investigators for two specific types of fiscal offences:

• Organised Tax Credit fraud
• ‘Bogus’ VAT registration payment

The criminal investigation officers handle the aforementioned fiscal offences. The criminal investigation officers are also considered over their civil fraud counterparts for the following circumstances pertaining to HMRC offences in the UK:

• Systematic tax frauds or attacking the tax system by organised crime units, indicating a severe threat to the tax base
• Perpetrators have committed repeated offences or are guilty of prior civil action
• The use of forged or false documents
• Money laundering with professionals, such as solicitors, accountants, or advisors, using means to hide the money
• Situations that are suspected of having deception, deliberate concealment, corruption, or conspiracy
• Providing materially false documentation or making materially false statements during and about a civil investigation
• The misuse, unlawful destruction, or theft of HMRC documentation
• Threats to, assaults on, or impersonations of officials of the HMRC

The list above is not exhaustive. Thus, there are other situations in which criminal investigators are used to handle certain HMRC offences in the UK over civil fraud investigators. That is precisely why you will need experienced solicitors to handle your case if you are convicted of any HMRC offences.

What to Do If You Have Committed HMRC Offences in the UK

HMRC offences can be extremely severe, especially if the criminal investigation division is involved. As mentioned above, you must hire a group of solicitors who are well-versed with the nuances and issues regarding HMRC offences. They can guide you with the appropriate legal action to fight your case effectively.

All citizens in the UK must reapply for a driving licence after they turn 70 years old. Even if they have recently acquired a licence, reapplication is necessary. The UK has strict requirements because greater age can compromise one’s driving ability.

Nevertheless, you can retrieve your licence and get back on the road again. So, if you’re dealing with driving licence loss due to a medical condition or old age, here’s what you should know. This article also explains how solicitors can help with such situations.

What to Know About Driving Licence Loss with Respect to Age and Medical Conditions

In the UK, you must reapply for your driving licence after reaching 70 years of age. Thus, you must stop driving as soon as you turn 70. Driving at 70 years old without a renewed licence can be punishable under the law, especially if an accident occurs.

The renewed licence is valid for only another three years when you get one after turning 70 years. After that, you must reapply for it again. During the reapplication process, you must perform fitness tests and eye tests. These tests prove that you are physically capable of managing a vehicle on the road and have the capacity to react quickly to emergencies.

Medical conditions can also lead to driving licence loss even if you are not 70 years old. Some of the most common medical conditions that are checked when getting a licence include the following.

• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Epilepsy

People with these conditions may also have to have regular check-ups to ensure that they are physically and mentally fit to drive cars on the road. Failure to do so may result in driving licence loss.

How Solicitors Can Help

If you or your loved one has lost their driving licence, you can have experienced solicitors to help you or them to retrieve it and retain it. Solicitors are especially helpful for those who are having trouble complying with some of the strict requirements in place for senior citizens and those with medical conditions. So, you don’t necessarily need to hire solicitors when your loved one can easily renew their licence through the necessary tests.

Exceptional UK motoring offence solicitors know the nuances of the realm of driving issues. Therefore, they can review your case and look for ways to contest your licence loss and help restore your driving privileges. If you’re over the age of 70 and have severe medical conditions that may affect your driving, solicitors can offer legal guidance on renewing your licence even in such situations.

Last Few Words

It’s crucial that you hire dedicated motor solicitors for your driving licence loss case. The motoring laws in the UK are constantly changing—in general and regarding specific offences. Therefore, you want a team of lawyers who know every aspect of the law so that they can make a solid case in your favour.

In addition to being emotionally challenging, a divorce can be expensive. There are two crucial types of costs involved with this process: solicitor fees and court fees. Who pays how much of those fees depends on who files for divorce and a mutual agreement.

In some cases, the court may also determine who pays the fees, but that’s only when there is a dispute between the couple. Thus, this article discusses who pays the legal costs of a divorce in the UK and other financial factors.

Who Pays the Court Fees?

At the start of the divorce process, it is the person who files for divorce (also known as the petitioner) who pays the court fees. The court fees include the following:

• The £550 fee for applying for a divorce.
• A £50 court fee to apply for a consent order. This order formalises the arrangements agreed upon between the couple and their legal representation once the divorce occurs.

The person applying for the divorce can also make an application for their spouse (i.e., the respondent) pays the court fees. However, this is only possible when it is a fault-based divorce. That is to that say that the respondent committed any of the following during the marriage.

• Adultery
• Desertion
• Unreasonable behaviour

It is highly unlikely for a petitioner to have a respondent pay if the grounds for divorce is separation or is a part of no-fault divorce. Certain petitioners may also be exempt from paying the court fees. Those from low-income backgrounds or those who receive benefits, which may include Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Universal Credit, and income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

Who Pays Solicitors’ Fees?

When you hire divorce solicitors in the UK, you will have to pay for your own representation. Thus, solicitors can help with various factors, including negotiating the divorce, child arrangements, and financial settlements. The solicitors’ fees can vary on multiple factors, such as the complexity of the financial and family arrangements and whether the divorce is contested.

Determining Who Pays Divorce Fees

Couples can use their legal representation to determine who pays what share of the divorce costs. An agreement allows the court to issue a cost order. Therefore, this order will allow both concerned parties to handle the costs themselves without any more court hearings. As a result, both spouses can save a lot of time and money.

If an agreement cannot be achieved, then the court must resolve the dispute. It can greatly increase the time of getting a divorce and increase the costs as each party will require additional services from their solicitors.

Last Few Words

When it comes to the legal costs of a divorce in the UK, it’s recommended that those going through a divorce agree on how the payments will be made, especially in the case of a no-fault divorce. It will save time and money for all parties.