If you have been charged with a DUI, then the first thing you should do is contact an experienced attorney. A DUI attorney can help you to avoid the worst pitfalls of a DUI charge, such as having your driver’s license revoked, paying a hefty fine, or serving jail time. Your lawyer can mount a defense that can create doubt about any sobriety tests you endured or the nature of your DUI stop. That is because your attorney will be familiar with all the DUI laws and will know how to counter any charges you may be facing. But before they get started preparing your defense, there are some questions that you need to ask your attorney.
Background and Experience
- How long have you been a practicing lawyer?
- How long have you been representing clients with DUI cases?
- How many DUI cases do you take per year?
You do not want an attorney fresh out of law school to represent you. Neither do you want an attorney who has little or no experience with DUI cases. Even if that lawyer is talented and experienced with other areas of the law, DUI cases are different and there is no guarantee that their expertise will translate.
- How often do your cases go to trial?
- Are you experienced with plea bargains?
- How familiar are you with the local court scene?
- Do you know the prosecuting attorney?
These questions help you to find out what is likely to happen if your case should go to trial. Even some experienced DUI attorneys don’t often go to trial, so it is worth finding out if your lawyer has trial experience in the event that your case ends up in court. Furthermore, you want to find out their familiarity with the local court scene and if they know the prosecutor. Your lawyer can probably negotiate a better deal if they understand the local court system and are on familiar terms with the prosecuting attorney.
Representation and Case Management
- Will you be the lawyer working on my case and representing me in court?
- Can I call you if I have any questions and how soon will you respond?
- Will you keep me updated on the state of my case?
You want to know who will be representing you so that you can contact them if you have any questions about your case. If a firm has multiple attorneys, then sometimes the attorney with whom you initially consulted is not the lawyer who will end up representing you. So you should find out who will be representing you early on to prevent any confusion. Since your fate is in their hands you will want to be able to contact your lawyer with any questions you have about the case.
You want to make sure that they will respond to you but you should not call them whenever you feel like it because they will be busy working on your case. To avoid interrupting them, find out when there is a convenient time to call them. Your DUI attorney should also provide you with regular updates so that you always know what is going on. Let them know how and when to contact you so that it is never inconvenient for you.
Fees
- Will you charge an hourly rate or a flat fee?
- What does the fee cover?
DUI attorneys charge an hourly rate or a flat fee. With an hourly rate, you will get billed for the amount of time the attorney works on your case. With a flat fee, you pay an upfront cost that covers the case from start to finish. A flat fee is generally what DUI lawyers use but you should find out just what that fee covers.
Sometimes the fee will cover everything up to a possible trial, if a trial does occur, then you may have to pay an additional trial fee. If you are being charged a flat fee, then you need to ask your attorney what the initial fee covers. You need to find out if you will have to pay extra if the case goes to trial or if you will need to cover investigation costs, fees for expert witnesses, or any other expenses.
Ask The Right Questions Before Hiring a DUI Lawyer
The consequences of a DUI charge can have a profound impact on your life, so with that much on the line you need to ask your potential DUI lawyer the right questions. Asking the right questions will give you a good idea of how they will handle your case and how they will deal with you. So you should only choose a DUI attorney to represent you when you are satisfied with their answers.
