Blog

I often get asked whether you need to have a lawyer to appeal your suspension in court. The honest answer is there’s no requirement to take a lawyer with you. You are allowed to represent yourself. A lot of people choose to have a lawyer, though, because they want to...

If you’re planning to appeal against a suspension of your driver’s licence, it’s really important that you’re aware of the time limits. For most licence appeals, the application needs to be lodged within 28 days. That seems really straightforward, but there’s actually...

If you’ve got a licence suspension, you’re probably wondering if you can appeal it in court. The answer really depends on why your licence is being suspended, because the laws only let us appeal against some of those reasons.  The main cases that you can take to...

It’s sure to ruin your day: coming back to your car to find a little ticket fluttering against your windscreen. It’s particularly infuriating when you believe you didn’t deserve it. The question is: what can you do about it? Parking tickets in NSW are generally issued...

If you’ve been charged with dangerous driving, you’re probably feeling quite worried at the moment and you might be wondering if what you did was enough to be found guilty of the offence. The real question is: What counts as dangerous driving? It’s a frustrating...

One of the really common questions that I get asked is, “Should I take my speeding fine to court?” It’s one of those questions that doesn't really have a straightforward answer for everyone. There’s no black and white, one size fits all. It really depends on your main...

One of the common questions that I get asked is, “Am I going to get a criminal record for my drink driving charge?” Unfortunately, the answer is often yes. You could end up with a criminal record for your PCA. What does it mean if you do get a criminal record? More...

Nothing ruins your day like getting a traffic ticket.  If you’re like most people, the first thought is probably, “Oh no! Are there demerit points attached to this one?” Whether or not you’re going to get demerit points depends on whether your offence is on the...

Today I wanted to have a chat about how much a traffic lawyer should cost. I understand that the priority here is your licence, but how much a lawyer is going to charge is an important factor as well.  Here are a few things to think about as you’re looking to...

Today I wanted to have a chat about demerit points and more specifically, how many points can you lose before your driver’s licence is suspended?  The number of points you can get depends on what kind of licence you hold. Each category of licence in New South...

Sometimes, I get asked, “Can I be sent to jail for my speeding offence?” Usually, the answer to that question is no. Jail is not an option for your typical speeding matter. Most typical speeding offences are what we call Fine-Only matters. What that means is the worst...

There are lots of different driving offences but there are few that pop up the most. The most common would have to be speeding, drink driving, and mobile phone offences. One thing that these all have in common is that they’re often committed by otherwise good drivers...

Over the years, I’ve represented plenty of people who have been in trouble for drink driving. Here are a few common traps that I find they fall into. The first is counting drinks. It used to be believed that you could have 1 or 2 drinks in the first hour and then one...

Here are five things to think about if you are choosing a traffic lawyer to represent you in Sydney.  Firstly, you want to see that your traffic lawyer is in court locally every single week. This makes sure that they are familiar with the magistrate who may...

As a professional bus driver, your Bus Driver Authority is your livelihood. Finding out that it is being cancelled or suspended, or that your renewal application has been refused is a devastating blow. But even if you have received a letter advising that Transport for...

If your Bus Driver Authority has been cancelled, then chances are you’re also banned from driving Uber. Lots of professional drivers hold multiple accreditations. This lets them switch between driving buses, taxis or Uber. What many drivers don’t realise is that a...

If you've breached a good behaviour licence, you're probably feeling really stressed out right now. But try not to panic, we may actually be able to save your licence for you. What I wanted to talk to you about today is what happens if you commit an offence while...

  If you’re looking for a lawyer to help save your license, the reality is you’ve got lots of options to choose from.  Most criminal law firms offer traffic law as a secondary service, Ainsley Law is different. Traffic law is all we do. In fact, we’re...

If you’ve got a court case coming up, you’re probably wondering how the COVID-19 restrictions will affect it. The NSW Local Court has implemented huge changes to how it operates. Many types of cases have been postponed and there are new rules about who is allowed in...

At Ainsley Law we are often asked this question.  So much of our lives happen via our phones and we know that if we do the wrong things with phones while driving, we’ll get hit with a whopping fine and 5 demerit points.  Everyone is so caught up in what we...

In August last year the internet rippled with outrage after the Victorian Police pointed out on social media that using your phone to pay at the Macca’s drive thru was illegal. Concerned Big Mac lovers everywhere rightly took to the internet and railed against the...

Many truck drivers and operators in NSW have been ordered to pay the RMS’ legal fees after trying to defend charges. The practice raises some interesting questions about ensuring a fair and accessible justice system. The law in NSW allows Courts to order the defendant...

With the introduction of the HVNL, the roads authorities in most States have supported a move towards uniform laws. They recognise the benefits of a streamlined transport network throughout the county, where drivers and operators are subject to the same rules...

Over the past decade as a trucking lawyer, I’ve worked with a lot of professional drivers. All of them have been charged with heavy vehicle offences, but most of them are not bad drivers. In fact, the majority are good people who want to do the right thing....