A DUI or driving under the influence case shouldn’t be taken lightly. Once found guilty, a person can be fined, face probation or license suspension, and worse, become imprisoned. Accordingly, it’s important to prepare and consider everything before appearing in court or confronting someone in authority. However, even these things aren’t enough—to have a good shot at avoiding charges and negative outcomes, one must get a personal DUI lawyer. Nevertheless, if you want to find and hire a DUI attorney, the following are the steps in doing so:
4 Steps To Find A DUI Lawyer
1. Ask for recommendations and list lawyer prospects
Like when researching for other cases, one can find DUI lawyer suggestions online. However, as not everything on the Internet is true, it’s better to receive recommendations from someone you can trust. It’s possible to ask relatives or colleagues about good DUI attorneys that they or someone they know have worked with in the past. Besides that, previously hired lawyers can also provide suggestions for such attorneys—which can be even better as these professionals practice law. Lastly, if the mentioned options don’t work, you can use credible directories like The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and The National College for DUI Defense.
2. Know if an attorney(s) is qualified and capable of handling the case
After creating a list of prospects, the next step would be individually identifying the lawyers that qualify and can handle your case. Before anything else, it’s crucial to avoid hiring disbarred attorneys and potentially committing or wasting payments.
When choosing a lawyer, it’s best to hire one with a license, so there’s no need to spend more money on another attorney that will appear in court. It’s also essential to go with someone experienced and who has a good track record with DUI cases. Additionally, it’s good to hire a local attorney for court connections which also eliminates the need for a co-counsel for a DUI lawyer from another state.
3. Meet and observe the attorney
Once the choices are narrowed down to one, you will then have to contact and meet with the selected lawyer. During the visit, there will typically be discussions about your case’s details and the necessary documents to provide. Since you’re already there, it’s best to observe and ask questions to determine if the attorney is the right one to hire. Ask for initial strategies, what case to build on, previous experiences, and who will be the one to handle you (when going with an agency). It’s also helpful to observe an attorney’s familiarity and expertise in related laws, confidence in answering, and behavior before moving on.
4. Negotiate and pay the lawyer’s fee
Naturally, a DUI lawyer won’t handle the case and appear in court without compensation. Accordingly, it’s ideal to know an attorney’s rates clearly in advance, as some charge more than the others (usually for experience, reputation, and additional services included). If given a chance, you can negotiate the price to at least have a small discount or option for a down payment. Lastly, it’s important to find out about hidden fees, methods for paying, and payment plans (one-time or staggered).
Hire A Personal DUI Lawyer Today
Finding a personal DUI lawyer shouldn’t be that hard—with the above steps, you can hire one in no time. However, if you want to skip the hassle and only want the best Los Angeles DUI defense lawyer, The Law Offices of Hart J. Levin is the right place to go. Besides employing some of the finest DUI lawyers in Los Angeles, the firm also has the highest DUI case dismissal rate in Southern California. You’re in good hands, so connect with The Law Offices of Hart J. Levin today!
