“Clear my driving record! I was charged with stunt driving at 180 km/hour while texting my girlfriend with some Jack Daniels in my system. Clear it all. Nothing on my driving record! I’ll pay anything.”

This is the stereotype of the client who visit a paralegal office. I love their confidence. I’m not too sure what it is or where it comes from. It may be from Netflix binges of the legal drama Suits or too many Al Pacino movies in childhood. Tamil courtroom dramas (also known as shouting matches) with sidekicks using cliche dialogue like “pudicharaa pointa!” really don’t help either. There are some warped ideas about the concept of legal representation.

Here are some facts. More than 90% of criminal and traffic court cases end in a plea bargain or the charges are withdrawn. The stuff that you see in movies are about 10% and mostly no shouting matches are involved. This is common to both Canada and United States. Courtrooms are not like in the movies. In fact, law society licensees such as lawyers and paralegals in Ontario are encouraged to avoid unnecessarily expensive litigation and encourage mediation among clients.

There is one thing I tell anyone who becomes my client: you hired me for your traffic legal representation. I guide you through the legalities. I give you my 100% legal representation. I advise you on the current situation you are in. I tell you the pros and cons of the case and the possible outcomes by whatever legal resolutions necessary.

Are there cases that needs to go to trial? There are. Are there cases that are good for a plea bargain? There are. The ultimate decision relies on the client with advice from the legal representative. What I can guarantee is a 100% solid legal representation.

You may be wondering why I am writing this article. Explaining the concept of plea bargain, negotiations with prosecutors and pre-trial is a bit of a work, especially for those who have seen too many courtroom dramas. But this is the crucial work of a legal representative.

Now going back to that stunt driving individual. Is it a good deal if I save him from license suspension but serve him with a higher fine? Could be. Is it a good deal that I lower his demerit points so that his insurance doesn’t go up drastically next year? That’s possible. Could I completely acquit him from all charges with a clean driving record? As cliché as it sounds, like a legal court drama beginning scene - “It depends.”

Did you get a traffic ticket? Were you charged with a provincial offence? Search “Traffic Kumar” on Instagram and Facebook. Give me a call!

Related articles: Introducing Traffic Kumar, Licensed Paralegal Garrett Morgan, Inventor of the Traffic Light