What Kind of Experience Does a DUI Lawyer Need?
"You get what you pay for" comes to mind when you're considering between DUI lawyers.
If you're unsure of where to begin when hiring a DUI lawyer, especially on what kind of experience they need, this guide can help.
Why do you need a lawyer? Can you represent yourself instead or accept the charges? If you have years experience in handling DUI cases in and out of court, of studying complex legal subjects, of negotiating with judges and prosecuting attorneys - well, you likely don't have that.
The other option, if you have little to no funds, is to use a court appointed attorney.
Let's face the facts: a DUI defense costs money.
If you have to choose between no lawyer and a court appointed lawyer, go with the court lawyer.
On the other hand, if you really want to win, to beat the charges or have them lowered, you need a professional.
Low, Low Prices An experienced lawyer does not charge $500 to $1,000 and promise a big winner.
You pay for value, not rock bottom prices.
These lawyers simply take advantage of those of us who cannot afford high fees.
They are rarely effective.
Why? They lack experience in actually winning cases.
They don't spend time on your case because they have many other clients.
Fair Prices A fair price for a DUI lawyer can vary, as some are willing to negotiate with you.
However, $5,000 to $10,000 is not uncommon.
Is that a fair price? You should consider some other questions.
How much time will you spend in jail? How long will your license be suspended? How much will you pay in fines? How much, in other words, will this DUI cost you if you get the maximum charges? That is how you should look at legal fees.
Avoiding jail time is worth quite a lot.
Experience Shows Effectiveness What kind of experience will a fair price bring? Plenty of real experience in defending clients in court.
This does not always mean the DUI lawyer always won.
The nature of DUI defenses is sometimes the evidence is such that you are fighting to lower charges.
On the other hand, a good lawyer is able to use his or her in court experience and knowledge to challenge the prosecution's case.
How the officer acted, if there was no reason to pull you over, the validity of the breathalyzer test, how close you were to the limit - these all should be challenged.
Will you win? Winning is subjective in DUI cases; you might avoid months in jail, thousands in fines, and continue to be able to drive to and from work.
While you cannot always win a "not guilty plea" and beat all charges, you almost always have the opportunity, with an experienced lawyer, to defeat some of the charges.
Where do you look? How much experience should your lawyer have? Your lawyer must have a legal degree, years experience specifically in DUI law, and a history of successful defenses.
Where do you find a lawyer like this? Instead of searching through the phone book, search locally and online for lawyers who specialize in DUI law and have practiced for some time.
If you're unsure of where to begin when hiring a DUI lawyer, especially on what kind of experience they need, this guide can help.
Why do you need a lawyer? Can you represent yourself instead or accept the charges? If you have years experience in handling DUI cases in and out of court, of studying complex legal subjects, of negotiating with judges and prosecuting attorneys - well, you likely don't have that.
The other option, if you have little to no funds, is to use a court appointed attorney.
Let's face the facts: a DUI defense costs money.
If you have to choose between no lawyer and a court appointed lawyer, go with the court lawyer.
On the other hand, if you really want to win, to beat the charges or have them lowered, you need a professional.
Low, Low Prices An experienced lawyer does not charge $500 to $1,000 and promise a big winner.
You pay for value, not rock bottom prices.
These lawyers simply take advantage of those of us who cannot afford high fees.
They are rarely effective.
Why? They lack experience in actually winning cases.
They don't spend time on your case because they have many other clients.
Fair Prices A fair price for a DUI lawyer can vary, as some are willing to negotiate with you.
However, $5,000 to $10,000 is not uncommon.
Is that a fair price? You should consider some other questions.
How much time will you spend in jail? How long will your license be suspended? How much will you pay in fines? How much, in other words, will this DUI cost you if you get the maximum charges? That is how you should look at legal fees.
Avoiding jail time is worth quite a lot.
Experience Shows Effectiveness What kind of experience will a fair price bring? Plenty of real experience in defending clients in court.
This does not always mean the DUI lawyer always won.
The nature of DUI defenses is sometimes the evidence is such that you are fighting to lower charges.
On the other hand, a good lawyer is able to use his or her in court experience and knowledge to challenge the prosecution's case.
How the officer acted, if there was no reason to pull you over, the validity of the breathalyzer test, how close you were to the limit - these all should be challenged.
Will you win? Winning is subjective in DUI cases; you might avoid months in jail, thousands in fines, and continue to be able to drive to and from work.
While you cannot always win a "not guilty plea" and beat all charges, you almost always have the opportunity, with an experienced lawyer, to defeat some of the charges.
Where do you look? How much experience should your lawyer have? Your lawyer must have a legal degree, years experience specifically in DUI law, and a history of successful defenses.
Where do you find a lawyer like this? Instead of searching through the phone book, search locally and online for lawyers who specialize in DUI law and have practiced for some time.
