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$230 phone appointment.
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Relax. We've seen it all.
The charge written at the roadside is a starting position, not a verdict. Most traffic matters are settled by putting the case for a lesser charge to the police prosecutor. That's our job.
Dangerous driving reduced to careless driving is the difference between a mandatory six-month disqualification and none at all. On a first offence the police will sometimes agree to diversion instead: complete the conditions and the charge is withdrawn.
The part we can't do for you is the part that earns it: the defensive driving course, the reparation, the apology. We give you the list of things to do for your charge, and when to start. Start early: done before the hearing is worth far more than promised after it. None of it is compulsory and none of it is a guarantee, but it's what a prosecutor and a judge look at. You do your bit, we'll do ours.
We're straight shooters: if you don't need a lawyer at all, we'll say so on the phone rather than take your money.
The $230 phone appointment is from anywhere in New Zealand. The court work is at the Auckland courts — North Shore, Manukau, Waitakere, wherever you are.
The simplest case, a straightforward guilty plea, is $460 in full: a $230 phone appointment plus a $230 appearance at the Auckland District Court ($287 at other greater Auckland courts).
A negotiated charge reduction runs further, because of the written submissions. You get a fixed figure for your case before any work starts, payable in instalments. Almost nobody in this category publishes a price at all; we publish all of ours.
The wrap-up fee is the part you only pay if you get the result. If the application doesn't succeed, it's never charged.
Or text us on 021 911 133 and we'll ring you backPaid to the court and to NZTA, separate from our legal fee. Current as at August 2026. Check the current court fees →
Melanie Coxon has been dealing with the Auckland police prosecutors for three decades. Knowing who will move on what is most of the job. The rest of the CV: 30+ years of traffic and criminal law, and appearances in her own right in the High Court. No juniors, no hand-offs. Ring and we'll take down what's happened, chase the paperwork, and keep you posted.
Remember: When someone says it's impossible, they usually don't know Melanie.
Those are the two questions, usually in that order, at two in the morning.
"You're no more going to go to jail than we are." On a first traffic charge (careless driving, a burnout, failing to stop where nobody was hurt) that's the truth, whatever the maximum in the Act says. It becomes a real possibility where someone was seriously hurt or killed, or on a third driving-while-disqualified charge. If that's you, say so on the first call.
Careless driving: the judge decides, and plenty of people are fined and keep driving. Dangerous driving, a burnout, failing to stop, driving while disqualified, or careless driving where someone was hurt: disqualification is mandatory on conviction, six months minimum.
That gap is the whole argument for getting a charge reduced. Careless is arguable. Dangerous isn't. And it's decided before sentencing, not at it.
Current as at August 2026. General information, not advice on your case.
A court order that lets you keep driving under conditions, usually so you can keep your job and pay the bills.
$920 fixed, 2 × $460, plus the filing fee
Work / limited licences →A section 94 order lets the court give you community work instead of taking your licence again. Once you're sentenced, the option is gone.
$1,725, plus $575 wrap-up fee if granted
Section 94 community work →No conviction recorded at all, where a conviction would cost you far more than the offending deserves: a job, a registration, a visa.
Each one's on its own merits. $230 to find out.
Discharge without conviction →Probably not, and we'll say so on the phone. An infringement notice is a fine and demerit points. But watch the points: at 100 in two years your licence is suspended for three months, and that's what a limited licence is for. A summons with a court date is a criminal charge, and that's what this page is about. Not sure which you've got? Ring and read it out.
Usually not, and never before you've seen your disclosure. A guilty plea at the first appearance locks in the charge as laid, with nothing negotiated, and once you're convicted a section 106 discharge is gone. Still want to plead after that? Your call, and we'll act on it.
It can. Traffic convictions are criminal convictions and show on a record check. If you drive for a living, hold a P endorsement or a professional registration, or you're applying for a visa, say so on the first call. It's the main reason people go for a section 106 discharge.
Ring us. These aren't fixed-fee matters and we won't quote one on a website: we'll read the disclosure and give you a written fee once we can see what's involved. If it's beyond what this practice should handle, we'll say so and point you to someone who should.
Yes. Everything on this page can be paid in instalments; that's why the section 106 fee is quoted as five payments of $575. If money is what's stopping you ringing, ring and say so. There's a duty lawyer free at the District Court on the day, and on a low income you may qualify for legal aid. We'll tell you if that's your better option.
One phone appointment: $230, usually the same day, for however long it takes. You'll come off it knowing what you're facing, what it could become, and what it takes to earn that. Get some direction and peace of mind, and sleep better tonight.
Or text us on 021 911 133 and we'll ring you backMon–Fri 9am–9pm · Sat 2pm–6pm
No credit, free call 0800 OK2DRIVE (0800 6523 7483)