EVERY day on our letters page our legal eagle Mike Corrigan answers your problems.

You can email letters or your legal queries to lancsletters@nqnw.co.uk. Here is today's question.

Q. There was a case in the papers recently where someone escaped a driving ban for having 12 penalty points on their licence by arguing that they would suffer hardship if disqualified. In this case I think they said their charity work would suffer. How many times can you use this argument?

A. In order to avoid disqualification for the reason you have given it is necessary not simply to establish hardship but to establish “exceptional” hardship. If you raise that argument successfully and the magistrates exercise their discretion by either not disqualifying you at all, or by disqualifying you for less than the normal minimum six month period, then you are not allowed to use the same reason again until after the third anniversary of the hearing date. You could use a different reason, if there was one.

Legal questions answered by Mike Corrigan of Farleys Solicitors LLP. Farleys have offices in: Blackburn 01254 606000; Accrington 01254 606600; Burnley 01282 718000; and Manchester 0161 8359513.