Speeding
- Points lost
- 1 to 6 points
- Fine faced
- €68 to €1,500
- Licence
- Suspension possible from 30 km/h over the limit
Nicolas Sorel · Attorney at the Lyon Bar
Your defence in criminal law and traffic offences
A speeding notice, a licence cancellation letter, a court summons? We look at what can genuinely be challenged, tell you straight, and act before the deadline runs out.
- Reply within 24 business hours
- Clear quote before any action
- Cases handled across France
In person or by video call · Written fee agreement every time
24 h for the express review of your file
45 d to challenge a fixed-penalty notice
4 pts recoverable through a course, once a year
12 points on a full French licence
Traffic law
The offences we handle, and what they really cost
Before deciding anything, you need to know exactly what you are facing. Here are the situations the practice deals with most often, with the real stake behind each one.
Drink driving
- Points lost
- 6 points
- Fine faced
- €135 to €4,500
- Licence
- Suspension up to 3 years, vehicle may be impounded
Drug driving
- Points lost
- 6 points
- Fine faced
- Up to €4,500 and 2 years’ imprisonment
- Licence
- Suspension or cancellation of the licence
Running a red light or stop sign
- Points lost
- 4 points
- Fine faced
- €135
- Licence
- Suspension possible up to 3 years
Hand-held phone at the wheel
- Points lost
- 3 points
- Fine faced
- €135
- Licence
- Immediate retention possible if another offence is recorded
Failing to stop after an accident
- Points lost
- 6 points
- Fine faced
- Up to €75,000 and 3 years’ imprisonment
- Licence
- Suspension up to 5 years or cancellation
Failing to comply with a police order
- Points lost
- 6 points
- Fine faced
- Up to €15,000 and 2 years’ imprisonment
- Licence
- Suspension or cancellation of the licence
Zero balance — 48SI letter
- Points lost
- All 12 points used up
- Fine faced
- Driving after invalidation: €15,000 and 2 years
- Licence
- Licence invalidated, 6-month ban on reapplying
Penalties shown for guidance only: the sanction depends on the circumstances of the offence and on the judge’s decision. This information is general and does not constitute personalised legal advice.
Deadlines run from the day the notice was sent, not from the day you opened it.
That is where cases are lost, almost every time.
What you face, what we can do
Every situation you are put in has a legal counterpart
- What you face
You pay the fine just to be done with it.
What we can doPaying amounts to admitting the offence: the points go automatically. A challenge filed within the deadline suspends the processing of the notice.
- What you face
A 48SI letter tells you the licence is invalidated.
What we can doWe check every earlier deduction and whether the driver was properly informed, then file the appeal before the administrative court within two months.
- What you face
The prefect orders a suspension right after the check.
What we can doWritten observations can be filed before the order is issued, and an urgent application to the administrative judge remains open where urgency is made out.
- What you face
You are summoned before the criminal court.
What we can doWe request access to the file and audit the technical chain: device approval and annual calibration, the second-breath interval, the validity of the sample.
- What you face
You have two points left and you drive every day.
What we can doWe time the awareness course properly and map out the automatic restoration calendar, point by point.
- What you face
The camera flashed, but you were not the driver.
What we can doNaming the driver within the deadline, or filing an exemption request: the challenge is won on the documents attached, not on explanations.
Criminal law
When the case goes beyond the wheel
The practice also pleads ordinary criminal matters, from the first hour of police custody to the hearing itself.
- 01
Police custody
Confidential meeting from the first hour, attendance at every interview and a record of procedural irregularities.
- 02
Criminal court
Access to the case file, hearing preparation, pleading, then a plain explanation of the ruling and what follows.
- 03
Assault and threats
Defence of both accused persons and victims, including civil-party claims for compensation.
- 04
Property offences
Theft, criminal damage, fraud: review of the evidence, of exhibit handling and of the validity of each act.
- 05
Victims
Filing a complaint, assessing the harm suffered, claiming compensation and following through on enforcement.
- 06
Appeal and aftermath
Appealing a judgment, adjusting a sentence, applying to remove an entry from the criminal record extract.
The practice appears before the Lyon courts and across the region, both in defence and for civil parties.
Express request
Set out your situation, reply within 24 business hours
Four steps, two minutes. You receive a written review of your file and the timetable of the deadlines you have left.
- Phone +33 4 78 00 00 00
- Email contact@cabinet-sorel.fr
- Address 24 rue de la Charité, 69002 Lyon, France
- Hours Monday to Friday: 9am – 7pm · Saturday by appointment
Fees
Three ways to instruct the practice
Fees stated before any action, written agreement every time. No success fee on traffic matters.
Express review within 24 h
€89
Written reply within 24 business hours
We read the notice, the police record and the points statement. You receive a written note: what can be challenged, what cannot, and the deadlines already running.
Challenge drafted by the lawyer
€290
Drafted and sent within 5 business days
Exemption request or formal claim drafted and signed by the lawyer, supporting documents assembled, tracked delivery and follow-up until the authority replies.
Court representation
On quote
Quote within 24 business hours, after review
Police court, criminal court, administrative appeal: the amount depends on the court and on the size of the file. No online payment.
The practice
One contact, from the first call to the hearing
I am Nicolas Sorel, attorney at the Lyon Bar. My practice is built on a simple observation: in traffic law, almost everything hinges on short deadlines and on procedural documents nobody thinks to ask for.
I handle each file myself: the penalty notice, the police record, the calibration entries for the speed camera or breathalyser, the full licence-points statement. Then I tell you what can seriously be challenged — and what cannot. No lawyer can promise an outcome; what I do commit to is clarity and deadlines.
- A written quote before any action
- Reply within 24 business hours
- Full licence-points statement reviewed line by line
- Hearings across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
Client reviews
What the drivers we assisted say
Within 24 hours I knew what could be challenged in my notice and what could not. That is exactly what I wanted: a clear answer, not a brochure.
The cancellation letter landed on a Friday night. The practice called me back on Monday morning, explained the appeal and the timetable, and went through every past point deduction one by one.
Summoned to the criminal court after a breath test. Nothing was sugar-coated: I was told what I was facing, then we prepared the hearing together.
Frequently asked questions
The questions we are asked every day
Do I have to pay the fine before challenging it?
No — and this is the most common mistake: paying a fixed penalty amounts to admitting the offence and triggers the loss of points. Some challenges do require a deposit, which is not the same as paying the fine.
How long do I have to challenge a notice?
As a rule 45 days from the date the penalty notice was sent, and 3 months for an increased fixed-penalty notice. Those windows are short: have the notice reviewed as soon as it arrives.
How can I get points back?
Two routes: an awareness course, which restores up to 4 points once a year and a day, capped at 12; and automatic restoration, which depends on the nature of the offences and on time elapsed without a new one.
I received a licence cancellation letter — what now?
The licence is invalidated as soon as the letter is served: do not drive. An appeal before the administrative court is possible within two months, and every earlier point deduction must be checked, in particular whether the driver was properly informed beforehand.
How does the awareness course work?
Two consecutive days in an approved centre, with no exam. Points are credited the day after the course ends. A course cannot be taken once the licence has already been invalidated.
What does the practice charge?
Three packages are shown on this site: express review, drafted challenge, and court representation on quote. A written fee agreement is signed before any action is taken.
The information on this site is general and does not constitute personalised legal advice.