DUI stands for driving under influence. We don’t judge, everyone did it at some point in their lives. If you’re one of those people who was driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances and got caught by the police, then you know you’re in big trouble. Learn more about DUI on the link.
Before anything happens, it’s a good idea to have a DUI lawyer on speed dial. This person can be very helpful in times of trouble. Rarely people do something like this, but it’s still smart to do it. If you’re often or at least occasionally driving after having a shot or two, then you need one in your phonebook.
Why would you need a DUI attorney?
The consequences of getting caught driving drunk can be huge. The common sentence is a financial fee, but there’s a great chance that the judge will take your driving license and prevent you from operating a vehicle for some time. The usual time for taking your license is three, six, or 12 months.
If you’ve been caught several times doing the same crime, you might be facing time in jail. This is a serious situation and you need to do anything in your power to avoid it. Going to jail draws some other way more serious consequences than losing your license and paying a fee for what you’ve done.
If you have no one representing you while being arrested or giving a statement in front of a judge, then you’re most likely to get the maximum punishment. You can be as smart as possible, the law and the court of justice are something else and it takes a true professional to know how to act for getting the best deal for you.
How to find the best one?
The best DUI attorney is not easy to find. There are several issues that you need to mind. Lawyers must have certain features that everyone must have. If they don’t have them, then you should look for someone else. Keep on looking until you find the right one. To know which ones they are, follow the information below:
Get a licensed DUI attorney
There are many different law representatives. They all went to law school and got their degrees, but what they specialized is more important. An attorney by itself means nothing unless they know to the core what’s important for the laws on driving, alcohol, punishment on these things.
The license is being provided by the American Bar Association and by the representatives of the state government. Every state has different requirements and based on these the lawyer can be licensed differently. Some lawyers can’t provide these documents which means they are not fit for the job. Look for a licensed attorney.
Look for availability
It’s important to have a legal representative at the moment when the police stop you. However, you can’t have an attorney driving with you at all times, right? This is why it’s important to have one on speed dial, and someone who will be available for you at all times of day and night.
If you get pulled over, or you’ve been a part of an accident while drinking and driving, then it’s best to be taken downtown. Until then, it’s best not to say a word to the police officers to accept the mandatory information, like providing an ID and your insurance number.
The police’s job is to incriminate you so they have an easier case to solve. Don’t let them do it. Don’t resist arrest and let the police take you into the station. Ask for the phone call that you have by law, and call them to get there immediately. Once the lawyer is there, they’ll know how to handle the problem.
As you can see, having an attorney that is available at all times is crucial if you don’t want to get into more serious trouble. You can’t predict when you’re going to be pulled over, right? It can happen during broad daylight, or at 3 AM. Having someone who understands the law with you is more than valuable.
Check their track record
The track record is the statistic about the lawyer’s success in getting positive endings of the cases of their clients. If you find a lawyer that has a poor track record, then you can be sure that this person is not going to do a great job for you. If this person has a good track record, then chances are big you’ll profit from having them by yourself in crucial times. See how to find lawyers’ track records here: https://www.halt.org/how-to-research-an-attorneys-track-record/.
Search through clients’ reviews
Just like everything else on the internet, there are reviews from previous clients on lawyers too. Every single one that works legally will be available for review somewhere on the internet. So, if you found one in the neighborhood recommended by a friend, make sure you run their name through the search engine and see what comes out.
Some of the many review pages will have them in their database. Clients who had the chance to work with them will share their experience on the internet and show you what you can expect from them. Some will have a better reputation than others. Those with the best reputation are the ones that will most probably be the best choice for you.
Attorney’s experience is everything
Even though lawyers go to law school and all learn the same things there, the experience they gain through the years is crucial for their successful working, and with it, your chance to go free when caught DUI.
Those who have the most experience will know how to handle everything. The young ones without experience will try to follow the books, but we all know that going by the book is not always the smartest thing to do.
Instead, they’ll know how to run through the labyrinths of the legal matter, which, as we said at the beginning, can be highly confusing.
