How can you know if you found a qualified California DUI Lawyer for yourself? Questions to Ask
Various types of lawyers handle California DUI cases: public defenders, general practitioners, criminal defense lawyers, & DUI Specialist attorneys. Excellent questions are: What are his or her California DUI qualifications? Has he or she been a Specialist of the California DUI Lawyers Association? How long has he or she been a member of the National College for DUI Defense? How many years has he or she been handling DUI cases? Has he or she taught other attorneys in California how to handle DUI cases? Is he or she an Editorial Consultant to California Drunk Driving Law, "the Bible" of Drunk Driving Defense? Was he or she asked to be a Contributing Author of Attacking and Defending Drunk Driving Tests? Does he or she maintain a library of DUI materials and books? How much of his or her practice is DUI? Does he or she work in the "trenches" or office? Does he or she have less experienced lawyers handle Court & DMV? Is he or she thorough and quick to reply to emails?
Can I just use a Pubic Defender?
Public Defender? If you think you can automatically get a Public Defender, think again. If you have a job or assets, you probably do not qualify. If you apply for a Public Defender, you will have to swear under oath that you have no job and/or assets. See e.g. http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/public_defender/answers.html . If you do meet the financial eligibilty criteria for a public defender for the Criminal Court side of your DUI case: (a) public defenders do not handle DMV matters; and (b) your court appointed attorney will not be available to discuss your DUI case with you until they have been officially appointed by the Judge no sooner than the date of your first court appearance, or arraignment. Being that the 10 day grace period for requesting a DMV Licensing Hearing would have already lapsed, it is strongly recommended that you retain a qualified and proven a California DUI Attorney to represent your quasi-civil matter with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
How can I avoid paying too much? (How to Get a Real Good Horse for a reasonable fee.)
Law Firms who advertise alot generally charge alot. A real high-priced "law firm" may be one: a) With a large overhead (TV commercials, fancy offices in a higher rent district or a large, "full" staff). b) Showing a Big City (e.g. Los Angeles) - based video or Super Lawyer from an out-of-county law firm whom you will never meet and deal with (and who will never personally appear for you in court or at the DMV). c) Does the person in the firm with the "award-winning" record, knowledge and outstanding reputation actually get in the trenches for you? (It appears NOT in most cases. Have these firms became factories or mills representing a "figure-head"? Where is the Wizard of Oz? Is "The Great One" hidden behind a curtain?) d) Which unfairly or unreasonably claims it will or may have to do certain things - but actually does not- just so it can charge you up-front for a Horse & Carriage when all you need is a real good horse for a reasonable fee.
Does the Lawyer send out "Jail Mail" advertisements to your home address?
US Mail Privacy Warning: California Attorneys Mail You "DUI" Mail After Your Arrest! You may be feeling a little down. It gets more depressing when you see your mail. Don't want persons living at your home to know you were arrested? Hurry home. Why? Attorneys send "Jail Mail." Lawyers pay $ for your name & address. They solicit you with outdated, invasive, and unreliable "DUI" letters. Your mail box gets filled with embarrassing words printed on the envelopes: "DUI" "Drunk Driving" "Arrested" "Former Prosecutor" "Court-related " "DMV" "Legal Advertisement" "Urgent" "Law Offices" "Attorney" If you are looking for a cheap lawyer, you may want to read some Junk Mail. (Coupons & rebates are enclosed in some letters.) On the other hand, for obvious reasons, you probably want to retain the best California DUI & DMV Defense Lawyer you can afford.
Final Thoughts Before You Sign a Retainer Agreement
Remember: Good lawyers are generally not cheap. Cheap lawyers are usually not any good. Whether or not you ultimately end up hiring a fair & reasonable California DUI & DMV Defense Attorney with over 25 years of experience, e.g., it is a smart idea to look closely at the credentials of a California DUI Lawyer in this highly complex field.
