Forrest Williams were delighted to achieve another wonderful result for a London based client yesterday!  Once again our faith in our excellent specialist team of Barristers was rewarded with a successful Exceptional Hardship application. Proving that such applications do not need to be financially driven the case was presented based upon the impact of loss of licence on those around the client upon whom they depended.

Charged with speeding our client had unfortunately reached the dreaded 12 points and therefore fell to be disqualified for 6 months as a ‘totter’ – something he told us he could not cope with.

Our client’s needs were two-fold – not only did he need to retain his licence but before that he also needed the case date moving for medical reasons (not his own). Working together with the client we were able to persuade the court to move the hearing date to a more suitable time, allowing our client to provide the care and support needed to his partner when due to undergo major cardiovascular surgery. 

So often we hear, “I couldn’t afford to pay my bills without my licence” – this was not the case here. Our client acts as carer not only for his partner but also for a friend with severe learning difficulties. With children grown and living and working away there was no-one else available to shoulder these responsibilities so as a family they would have struggled immensely.

So often people say that if you live in London then you don’t need a car, you can cope with public transport, but for a lot of people that really is not true.  The difficulty in Exceptional Hardship cases is making sure that the courts get the true picture, and this is why Exceptional Hardship cases require a great deal of expert preparation.

Exceptional Hardship applications are not a checklist. There is no right or wrong situation to be in – your circumstances are unique to you.

If you are concerned that your family would be negatively impacted by the loss of your driving licence please give our team a call on 01623 397200 – we promise to be honest with you about your chances of success and, if appropriate, to work with you to build the strongest possible application.