Being charged with DUI can alter the course of your entire life. The consequences of a conviction can be severe, and it is essential to take steps to mitigate a potential conviction. Hiring an experienced DUI attorney can be your ticket to either having the charges dropped or having the penalties minimized.
However, knowing which DUI lawyer to choose can be quite tricky. You and your family may have an abundance of questions on how to navigate the legal system and how to know that the DUI lawyer you are hiring is the best one for you. Through the countless numbers of cases that we have fought and won, we have the answers you need.
Why Would You Need a DUI Lawyer in the First Place?
There are many people who may not want to hire an attorney after they have been arrested for DUI. In some cases, these individuals may think that there is no way they can afford an attorney. Others may not think they have a way forward when it comes to fighting the charges.
Do not let these two mindsets prevent you from hiring a defense attorney. You should always have legal representation when you are charged with a crime, including a DUI. This is to ensure that your civil rights are not infringed upon by the prosecution or the judge.
Protecting your rights is one of the most important jobs of any criminal defense attorney, along with trying their best to have you found not guilty. Not hiring a DUI attorney means that you run the risk of being convicted. There are serious punishments for a felony DUI conviction, including:
- Extensive jail/prison time
- Hefty fines
- Suspension of your driver’s license
- Being forced to wear a SCRAM ankle monitor
- Having an ignition interlock device installed in your car
- Attending alcohol education classes and a treatment program
Unless you want to face these harsh punishments, we suggest you hire a DUI Lawyer. In order to have a better defense built by your DUI attorney, it is important to be quick with hiring legal assistance. Taking the time to ask questions and iron out details is understandable, though you are on the clock when it comes to providing a defense for your DUI charge.
What Can a DUI Lawyer Do for You?
DUI attorneys perform many tasks for their clients to ensure that they are not denied their legal rights and to have the charges dropped or at least minimized. These tasks include:
- Re-examining the scene of the crime
- Combing through the official police reports
- Finding new evidence that supports your cause
- Meeting with experts and the-party interest
- Gathering strong witness testimonies
- Argue for suspended or reduced penalties
- Negotiate a plea deal
Your DUI lawyer will work tirelessly and perform these tasks to ensure that your life is not completely ruined by one DUI charge. You cannot conduct these actions yourself so why not hire a criminal defense attorney who has years of practice with getting their clients off the hook?
Where Do You Find the Best DUI Attorneys?
Wanting to hire a DUI lawyer is an important first step to take after being charged. Next, you will have to locate the right one and this is where it can become quite difficult. There are countless options to choose from which makes it even harder for you.
Simply going online to law firm websites and social media pages is a great way to find defense attorneys in your local area. Asking for referrals from friends and family members is another way to locate DUI lawyers near you.
Meeting with a DUI attorney in your area that you found online does not necessarily mean that they will be the best fit for you and your case. It is imperative that you reach out and chat with these potential options to gather more information on how they will best serve you.
What Are the Best Questions to Ask Your DUI Lawyer?
Sitting down and chatting with criminal defense lawyers can be intimidating. This is a critical step that must be taken in order to figure out if he or she is worthy of representing you in the California court of law. Not entirely knowing how the legal system works is a major factor that makes hiring a DUI lawyer challenging.
Knowing and understanding which questions to ask DUI lawyers is vital to your defense case. The most advantageous questions to ask include:
- Do they have a license to practice law in the state of California?
- Do they specialize in DUI cases?
- How many cases have they fought?
- How many cases have they won?
- Have they represented criminal defense cases similar to yours?
- Do they have strong references from other individuals in the field of law?
- Do they have strong references from their past clients?
- How much of the DUI case will they personally handle?
- What strategy would they recommend for your DUI case?
- What outcome do they expect for your DUI case?
- How much will their services cost you?
These are all important questions to ask when contacting and meeting with DUI attorneys. Do not hire them if their answers do not fit your standards and what you are looking for. For example, if the defense attorney says that they have not won very many DUI cases or if their past clients would not recommend them, then do not hire that DUI lawyer.
How Much Does a DUI Lawyer Cost?
One of the most important questions people ask themselves when considering which defense lawyer to hire is usually, “How much will this cost me?” No one wants to pay outrageous fees for a defense attorney when they could have hired a different one for much less and gotten the same result. Make sure you ask the DUI lawyer about their costs before you hire them to defend you.
DUI lawyers all charge different fees from state to state and even within states. You are not expected to pay any sort of contingency fee (costs based on the outcome of the trial) because this type of pay arrangement is prohibited in criminal defense cases. You are more than likely going to have to pay a retainer (upfront cost) and an hourly legal service fee.
Remember that legal service fees are negotiable. Argue for a lower and more reasonable cost if you are dissatisfied with the initial cost. Do not let the costs of legal fees prevent you from being defended by a DUI attorney at all.
