You Received a Traffic Ticket - Now What?

  You see the red and blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror, take a nervous look at your speedometer, and realize it is you that the officer is after.  Now what?  Many drivers have to answer this question every day.  Most simply pay the ticket.  But is that a good idea?

   Clients come to me on a regular basis with that question.  My general answer is “no, do not simply pay it.”  Definitely do not simply pay the ticket if you have multiple tickets even if your record is clean.  With a number of years of experience handling traffic matters, the negotiation of a better resolution is usually pretty simple and can save you money. 

   The typical traffic ticket fine is anywhere from $88.00 to $250.00.  What most people do not realize is that after you pay the ticket, you continue to pay for it with a number of years of higher insurance premiums.  The additional amount you pay for higher insurance premium is dependent on many factors, and insurance companies do not readily advertise the fact that you will likely pay more for insurance.  Your insurance broker may be able to tell you how much a ticket will effect your insurance, but I have found people who end up paying anywhere from $70.00 to $300.00 more a year for three years for relatively minor tickets.  In the end, that $100.00 ticket could end up costing you $1000.00.  If you receive another ticket in ...