How Does Hiring Ticket Shield Work?
Perhaps you are considering the option to hire a representative for your traffic ticket case, or maybe you have already decided that you will. So, how does it work? We can tell you how things are done with Ticket Shield.
Step One – The Consultation
The first step in hiring Ticket Shield as your representatives is to let us evaluate your case. We do not take cases when we do not think there is a good chance we can help. We offer FREE confidential consultations with no obligation to hire us. This allows you to get an idea about whether fighting your ticket is worth pursing (It usually is), and gives us a chance to ensure that it is a case that we believe we will be successful with. We will go over the strengths (and possibly weaknesses) of the case, consider the various challenges, and then provide you with our best estimate as to what the final result will be.
An important part of the consultation will be that we provide you with a free quote for our service. This is usually a block flat fee, which means that all portions of the case will be covered at a single cost. Generally this will mean that we will make as many court appearances as required to properly complete your case at a one-time cost. The amount of time that will go into a case is often unpredictable, which can make a client very nervous if they are paying per hour or per court appearance. You will not need to worry that the case will end up costing more than you expected. We have found that our clients prefer this so that we can do a more precise cost-benefit analysis. You know exactly what it will cost before you decide to move forward with hiring us. If you require a payment plan or personalized payment terms, this would normally be when we discuss that as well.
Step Two – The Retainer
If you decide to move forward with having Ticket Shield represent you, we will ask you to send us a copy of your traffic ticket and/or court summons. This will also give us an opportunity to check your ticket for errors that could result in the charge being dropped. If your case is in a more advanced stage, we may ask you to send your court documents, hearing notices, or disclosure. You can send these things to us by email, text message, or fax. We need a copy of these documents to begin working on your case. The first steps are usually to process your ticket with the court or contact the prosecutor’s office to arrange a meeting.
Once we have your ticket and/or court summons, we will draft your retainer documents and send them to you. We will provide you with two very simple 1-page documents to complete. The first is a retainer agreement, which outlines the terms of our arrangement, the fees involved, and generally serves as a consent to allow us to handle your case. The second page is an outline of the payment terms and what payment options you have. We accept essentially any method of payment that you wish to use. For your convenience, we normally provide you with these documents by email, fax or regular mail. You can return the complete forms to us by any means you wish, but most commonly, they are sent back as a photo or scan by email or text message.
Step Three – Relax
For most cases, we will handle everything from here. You have decided to trust us with your case and we will not let you down. We will take care of everything else with regard to the case, and let you know if any action is required on your part.
We will process your ticket with the court on your behalf if required, and keep you informed as the case moves along. If you already have a court date or a summons date, we will appear in court on your behalf. You do not need to attend unless we have specified otherwise. Naturally, you are welcome to attend with us if you would like, but please let us know you are going to be there so we can make a plan for that.
Traffic ticket cases in Ontario normally take at least 3-4 months to conclude. In some cities where the courts are really backed up, it can take closer to 9-12 months. It is a very slow process, but you are innocent until proven guilty, so there will be no negative impact on you until the case concludes. This will generally mean no fines to pay, no demerit points and no impact on your insurance rates.
We will provide regular updates as your case moves through the court system. Since the case will take many months to conclude, there may be stretches of time without anything to update you about, but rest assured, we are taking care of you. Every case is a little different, but the type of updates you can expect will be notification about various court dates, information about disclosure (the officer’s notes and evidence against you) to review with us, or details of a potential plea deal. You are in good hands and we will be sure to keep you informed about any relevant stages of your case.
Step Four – The Result
Eventually, your case will come to a conclusion. As mentioned above, this may be a number of months after you were originally given the ticket or summons, but it will end at some point – we promise. For most cases, we will have some great news to deliver you about what the final result was. The details of your outcome will come in the form of a typed report that clearly explains what happened with your case and what the result means. This could be that the ticket was withdrawn, dismissed, quashed, or completely eliminated. If not, it will likely mean that the ticket was at least reduced to something much less serious – hopefully with fewer (or no) demerit points and a reduced fine. If there is still a fine that needs to be paid, there will be instructions about how that will need to be done and by what date. The overwhelming majority of our clients are very happy with what we are able to accomplish with their case (see Testimonials), and we hope you will be too.
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