Is there any benefit in instructing a solicitor as soon as a report for prosecution has been issued by SW railways? Can they expedite the matter and arrange a settlement without waiting the 4-6 weeks (at least) for the letter from SW railways? Does anyone have any experience of doing this? The journey was from Surbiton to cobham and the reason for the report was no ticket. Thank you
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instructing a solicitor as soon as a report for prosecution received?
- Thread starter LMG
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R
RailUK Forums
Welcome to the forum!
To be perfectly honest it sounds as though your case is straightforward so I would wait for the letter from SWR, I know that's easier said than done but solicitors specialising in railway fare evasion are not cheap (there won't be much change from £1,000) in addition to the settlement you'll have to pay.
Solicitors can sometimes fast track a case but without SWR's initial letter this will be tricky.
To be perfectly honest it sounds as though your case is straightforward so I would wait for the letter from SWR, I know that's easier said than done but solicitors specialising in railway fare evasion are not cheap (there won't be much change from £1,000) in addition to the settlement you'll have to pay.
Solicitors can sometimes fast track a case but without SWR's initial letter this will be tricky.
SouthernOne
Member
They’re normally pretty quick with no ticket reports, as there’s nothing really to investigate! Did you give them your email address at the time? If not, why not email them and give it to them, put the MG reference number on the email, [email protected]
I think the rail companies are happy for you to fester a bit, obviously they aren't treating you as a customer. However SWR, for all their slowness, almost always comes to an out of court settlement, unless there is some amazing complicating factor or unless you refuse to engage in an appropriate way with them. Solicitors are good at projecting arguments, and it seems that solicitors can rapidly contact the TOC's solicitors / paralegals, thus speeding up the process. I guess it depends how you value your time and anxiety. It's likely to add £500 to £1000 to the total bill. And going back to the first line in your first post, that's the benefit here. Subject to anything you have not mentioned so far, solicitors won't stop a case going to court, since you can do that.
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Well I suppose one might say that if someone has not paid for the service they are not a customer
Mcr Warrior
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Not a recommendation as such, but many folk coming on to the forum have previously used the services of Manak Solicitors. Will cost though. Link below is to one of their adverts.
South Western Railways Fare Evasion Solicitors– Manak Solicitors
Manak Solicitors offers expert legal assistance for South Western Railways fare evasion cases. Contact us for a consultation.
manaksolicitors.co.uk
Puffing Devil
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I understand the desire for a quick resolution as the waiting period can understandably cause anxiety. However, very little can be effectively done before the official letter from SWR arrives, which can typically take 4-6 weeks.
While instructing a solicitor immediately might seem like a way to expedite the process and settle the matter quickly for peace of mind, it's essential to consider the potential drawbacks. Solicitors specialising in such cases can incur significant costs, potentially adding around £1,000 to the final settlement amount.
Moreover, without the initial letter from SWR detailing the report's specifics, a solicitor's ability to significantly speed up the process may be limited. Direct contact with SWR's legal team might not necessarily lead to a faster resolution than waiting for their standard procedure to run its course.
Generally, in the absence of any specific, unmentioned circumstances that might necessitate immediate legal intervention, the most practical and cost-effective approach for the OP is to await the official communication from SWR, as they typically offer out-of-court settlements in straightforward cases of this nature.
While instructing a solicitor immediately might seem like a way to expedite the process and settle the matter quickly for peace of mind, it's essential to consider the potential drawbacks. Solicitors specialising in such cases can incur significant costs, potentially adding around £1,000 to the final settlement amount.
Moreover, without the initial letter from SWR detailing the report's specifics, a solicitor's ability to significantly speed up the process may be limited. Direct contact with SWR's legal team might not necessarily lead to a faster resolution than waiting for their standard procedure to run its course.
Generally, in the absence of any specific, unmentioned circumstances that might necessitate immediate legal intervention, the most practical and cost-effective approach for the OP is to await the official communication from SWR, as they typically offer out-of-court settlements in straightforward cases of this nature.
And others would say that most of the fare evaders we see are, factually speaking, both - they sometimes pay for the train, and sometimes make sure their ticket's valid, but not always.Well I suppose one might say that if someone has not paid for the service they are not a customer
