When you are convicted of an offence that will take you to twelve points or beyond you are liable for a mandatory disqualification for a minimum of six months.
You can claim that “exceptional hardship” will result to you or others from the ban. The hardship does indeed have to be exceptional and usually loss of employment or something similar is not sufficient.
If you are successful you cannot use the same argument again within three years.
it depends on the courts, i've been allowed 12 points for 26 days when 3 were due to come off and i also know a colleague who had 12 points for 3 months when 3 came off