Charged With a DUI? What to Do Before You Start Calling DUI Lawyers

In this article I will briefly discuss several things that you should do to prepare yourself for interviewing DUI Lawyers. There is an old saying that "knowledge is power" and this is absolutely true. You should have some basic background information before calling DUI Lawyers so that you can evaluate what they are telling you. I will divide this information into two parts: First, information about the DUI Lawyer himself or herself; Second, information about DUI Laws in your state. Before calling any DUI Lawyer you should research their name online through Google, etc. and their personal web site if possible. You want to know if they are experienced in handling DUI cases or do they usually handle other types of legal matters. Obviously, you only want to talk to an Attorney that handles many DUI's. That is the only way to be sure that he or she stays constantly updated as to DUI Law in your State. Also, try to find out what type of training they have had. Was he or she a Prosecutor before moving to defense work? (Former Prosecutors tend to have a lot of experience and classroom training as their employers constantly send them to class to make sure they are current). Is he or she a member of any organization devoted to DUI Defense? Many of these organizations provide training to their members. Remember, you do not want to be represented by a civil attorney who is just picking up a DUI defense case because they figure "how hard can it be?" You should also research DUI Law in your state before calling DUI Lawyers. You can attempt to find the DUI Statutes on your State government web site or use other web resources. When reviewing the DUI Statute from your state you should be trying to find out several things. Are you facing a mandatory jail sentence? If so, how long a sentence? Are you facing a mandatory driver's license suspension? For how long? Most importantly, does your state offer a pre-trial diversionary program? This is a program that will, generally, allow a first time offender to serve some probation and take classes instead of facing jail time. These programs very often also carry lesser, or no, license suspension. Most importantly, most of these types of programs will result in your DUI charges being dismissed and expunged (meaning you will have NO criminal record as a result).rnIt is only after you have all of this information that you should talk to a DUI Lawyer. Then, for example, if a lawyer does not mention the pre-trial diversionary program you should wonder why? Or if an attorney pushes you to fight the charges rather than take the program (usually, because they charge more money for a trial) you should question them closely as to their reasoning for this advice. Always remember to ask any Lawyer how often they handle DUI cases and what percentage of their practice is taken up by DUI defense.rnGood Luck, and I hope that this article is of some help in hiring the right DUI Lawyers to defend your charges.