How to Choose a DUI Attorney

Drunk driving laws have harsh penalties and everyone should contact a lawyer if they are charged with a DUI. DUI attorneys will base their fees on the severity of the case, the state laws, the proof against the driver, and their demand. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty; a lawyer will be able to reduce the charges being held against their client. If someone tries to represent themselves, they may not be able to look for loopholes in the evidence that is being held against them. DUI attorneys will assess the evidence and may be able to find out if the police officer improperly conducted tests, if the breathalyzer is properly maintained, or if the blood tests were improperly administered.

DUI attorneys will help their clients obtain a reduced penalty, which could keep them out of jail or reduce the amount of time their license is suspended. Since employers commonly do background checks, the last thing anyone wants to have on their record is a DUI conviction. If there is a DUI conviction, it is the lawyer's responsibility to make it as minimal as possible.

When it is time to choose a DUI attorney, you need to evaluate your options. Can you afford to pay for a DUI attorney? If you cannot afford a DUI attorney, look into hiring a public defender or general practitioners. The best lawyers will have a large case load of DUI cases. Some discount lawyers will take on various cases in order to get as much money out of their clients as possible. Because these lawyers take on various cases, they may not have proper training and experience with DUI cases.

Good DUI attorneys will charge a retainer fee of at least $1,500 or more. Any lawyer that charges less probably doesn't have all the resources available and they will handle various types of cases. A good lawyer will evaluate all the evidence before talking to their client and convincing them to plead guilty.

Before hiring a DUI attorney, it is important to find out their win/loss percentage and see how many of their cases actually make it to court. Far too often a DUI attorney will tell their clients that they handle several DUI cases, when in fact only 5% of their cases actually make it to court. The other 95% of DUI cases will be plea-bargained. Lawyers with excellent negotiation skills will be able to help their clients enter into a better plea bargain.

Public defenders are better than general practitioners because they have a lot of experience in the courtroom. Since public defenders have a high number of case loads, they will have a lot of experience with the judges, prosecutors, and other people in the courtrooms. The public defenders may have better negotiation skills because they deal with the prosecutors on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. Their fees will be lower than a DUI attorney, but higher than a discount lawyer or general practitioner.

The cost of a DUI will average around $10,000 by the time the court fees, attorney fees, plea bargains, and everything else is added in. DUI attorneys that focus primarily on DUI or DWI cases will have a better chance of obtaining a good plea bargain for their client. The DUI attorney will go to training seminars to stay up-to-date with the latest DUI laws. Depending upon the severity of the case, the DUI attorney will charge a retainer fee of $5,000 or more. A DUI attorney must be nationally and locally recognized in criminal defense organizations.

Several people still browse the phone directory to search for a lawyer. The yellow pages will have advertisements for several lawyers, so it may be difficult to narrow down your selection. If you use the yellow pages, look for a lawyer that is in your local area or county. The jurisdiction where you got the ticket is where the lawyer needs to practice because they will have experience with the judges and will understand how each judge runs their courtroom. Contact each lawyer and ask for a free consultation. The DUI attorney will be able to evaluate your case and discuss the severity of the case, the costs that will be associated with it, and the outcome you can expect.

Online directories and search engines will pull up several DUI attorneys. While the search engines are a great way to find local DUI attorneys, you may only be finding the ones that paid for online advertising. Always check two or three different web sites to find out more information about the DUI attorney.

The best DUI attorney's come from referrals. Friends, family members, and colleagues may have experience with DUI attorneys and can help you find one that will fight for you. Attorney referrals will help the defendant trust the DUI attorney before meeting them because they like the person that referred them.

Another way to find a good DUI attorney is to go to the courtroom and see them in action. Look for a DUI attorney that is handling DUI cases and write down things you liked and disliked about them. If you think they did a lot of research and truly wanted to help their client win, contact them about your case. Ask for their business card when the court session ends and schedule a consultation.

Always find out what type of cases they normally handle and ask them if any of their past cases are similar to yours. The best DUI attorneys will handle cases that are closely related to your case. Find out how long the DUI attorney has been practicing and when their last DUI training session was. Since the DUI laws are consistently changing, it is important to find a DUI attorney that keeps up with them and expands their knowledge of DUI laws.

DUI attorneys will become successful because they surround themselves with good staff members. When you go in for a free consultation, speak with the secretary and other staff members. You should feel comfortable with everyone at the office, as they will all be working on your case. The most important thing to remember is the chemistry you have with your DUI attorney. If you are uncomfortable with the attorney, go to another firm and meet with a different DUI attorney. You have the right at any time to change lawyers; however you may have to pay some fees for the services they provided before you fired them.

Discuss the fee schedule with your attorney. Some attorneys will ask for a retainer fee up front and then they will allow the client to pay in monthly increments or a lump sum at the end of the case. Find out what the fees will cover and make sure that you are nit signing a contract that allows the attorney to increase their fees whenever they feel like it.

Talk about your case and the ideas your lawyer has for your case. A lawyer that is creative may be able to come up with a different strategy for you case that will result in the charges being dropped or lowered. The best DUI attorneys are the ones that are sociable; they will have a great reputation and can work with various personality types. A good DUI attorney will look at all the evidence and then will be able to see the bigger picture and come up with different ideas for a good outcome.

Look for a DUI attorney that has access to investigators and witness interviewers. DUI attorneys will be able to find loopholes in evidence and can have it thrown out of the jury trial. The more resources a DUI attorney has available, the better chance they have at winning the case or negotiating a lesser sentence. When the DUI attorney has more people working with them on the case, they are able to dedicate more time to it.

A plea bargain is a simple way to resolve a court case, but you should always look for a DUI attorney that wants to look beyond the plea bargain. DUI attorneys that have numerous plea bargains are looking for the easiest way to save their clients time and money, though this is a good thing, it can come back to hurt the client. Some people can have the charges reduced if they would have taken the case to court.

It is important to be up front with the DUI attorney. Let the attorney know about your financial situation and your needs before you hire them. If you cannot afford to pay for their expertise, talk about payment plans or look for a different lawyer. The contract you sign with the DUI attorney needs to have the fee schedule written into it so you can be sure you are only paying what you agreed to. Having a contract clearly written will protect the client from additional service charges and you will have a clear understanding about the DUI attorney and how they will fight for your case. Once you have chosen a DUI attorney, you can proceed with your court hearings.