Exceptional Hardship Mansfield Magistrates Court – Case Study
In Mansfield Magistrates’ Court this week, Valerie Dixon broke down in tears. She heard that she would not be disqualified for 6 months as a result of ‘totting up’ to 12 penalty points.
Valerie told Steve Williams, Senior Partner of law firm Forrest Williams, she was delighted with the court’s ruling. It meant she could carry on doing her very responsible job within the local health authority, which requires travel across a wide area. It also meant that she could continue to be as mobile as possible in the face of her health problems.
When she had first approached our company for assistance, one of the things that most struck Steve Williams about the conversation was that although Valerie accepted she could register as a disabled person, given her health issues, she clearly did not want to do this. She told us she did not yet feel ready to accept that her mobility was becoming so severely limited that this label applied to her, even though she accepted the fact that the label may means she could access certain aids and support.
Valerie explained that her driving licence meant she was able to fulfil all the requirements of her job. Her driving licence was something she equated with her independence.
The threat of losing her licence through the ‘totting up’ of points had, quite simply, rocked Valerie’s world. She was in tears when she made her first call to our office. She was in tears when her case worker took a full statement from her.
Once all the preparation on Valerie’s case had been completed, Steve Williams met with her at court and spent time before the hearing discussing her circumstances in great detail. In this way, Steve became very clear about how he would conduct Valerie’s Exceptional Hardship Mansfield Magistrates Court application.
Once in the court room, the magistrates took great interest in the valuable work that Valerie did within the field of mental health, and the fact that she had been working at a high level in this field for over 20 years. Valerie’s character references demonstrated to the court that she was very highly regarded and that she had the respect of her line manager and her peers.
In addition, Steve presented other forms of supporting evidence to the court. Valerie’s travel diary highlighted with great clarity the journeys she made for work. Her medical documents verified the fact that, although Valerie did not wish to register herself as a disabled person, she was clearly a person with severe mobility difficulties and who took daily medication for pain relief.
When the court’s decision was announced, Valerie cried for a third time. But this time they were joyful tears, as she knew her life could continue just as it had before. For Valerie, this meant keeping both her job and her independence.
Valerie thanked Steve Williams with a hug because sometimes there are no words.
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