Dealing with “driving under the influence” charge is something you never have to go through. Once you’ve been accused of a DUI, your future may be at risk. You are not just looking at losing your license; you could be facing the possibility of not working in certain professions, hefty fines, or even jail time. According to the center for disease control and prevention, drugs and alcohol account for 16% of motor vehicle crashes.
So, if you find yourself in such a situation, you’d better have a reputable lawyer by your side. Even if you believe you may have a guilt charge, hiring a DUI lawyer is a right you must exercise. You shouldn’t just roll over and take whatever punishment comes.
Here are some of the top qualities you should look for when hiring a lawyer.
Expertise in DUI Cases
The law is broad for any single lawyer to memorize. That is why drug attorneys specialize in one area as their career go along. If you have been accused of drinking under the influence, you have to seek the services of a lawyer that specializes in DUI cases.
Such attorneys are not just conversant with all the case laws and relevant statutes, but they know the disposition of the court in your area. If you hire a lawyer that has significantly dealt with DUI cases in the past, they’ll put their experience to use when dealing with your case.
Gather Evidence
A great lawyer should take witness statements. You can hardly rely on the statements made by the police as they can sometimes not be entirely true. The attorneys will try to talk to every possible witness to help you get a not guilty charge.
Once the investigations are done, they’ll ask the witnesses to write their version of the statement. Their reports will be useful when arguing your case in court.
Experience with Trials
Apart from their expertise in handling DWI cases, they should have extensive courtroom experience. They should know what the judges are looking for and work to present an indisputable case. Many lawyers have spent most of their career without having to go to trial, but instead, choosing out of court settlement.
It’s always advisable that you find a lawyer that has the experience of handling such unique challenges.
Personality
While most people may not find this an objective quality, it’s always best that you find a drug attorney with a personality you can match with your own. You have to feel comfortable with your lawyer, as they’ll represent you in what will be an important legal matter of your life.
If you’re not comfortable with an attorney, your relationship may cause you problems while you’re already trying to work on something important. Even a reputable lawyer can’t guarantee you the best representation if your personalities don’t match.
Availability
What good is a lawyer if they can’t be there when you need them to be? You may even consider a public defender, for the good that’s worth. While it’s worth finding an attorney with a winning reputation, it doesn’t do you any good if they think your case is below their class. The same case applies if they have a tight schedule that they can’t spare time for their clients.
This may be difficult to discern at first, but you need to pay close attention. If a DUI attorney can hardly be reached on the phone when you want to hire them, what guarantees are there that they’ll be more available later on?
Recommendation
Even with a reasonable success rate, it’s still important to get feedback on the relationship of the attorney with others. While online reviews may sometime have biased feedback, it’s still a great place to start. Apart from the online resources, you should check with the attorneys to confirm whether they have testimonials from satisfied clients.
If others have worked with the attorney successfully in the past, there’s a good chance you can work well with them. If no one can speak on behalf of a lawyer, you should be wary.