Here are five key questions you'll want to ask during a DUI consultation:
6 Questions To Ask Before You Hire A LawyerWhat's Your Experience? ... What Percentage Of Your Practice Is Dedicated To This Area Of Law? ... What Will This Cost? ... Can You Charge Me A Flat-Rate Fee? ... Where's My Contract? ... Can I Avoid Going To Court?
Questions to Ask Your Lawyer During a Consultation1) What kind of experience do you have with similar cases?2) What would be your strategy for my case?3) Are there any alternatives to going to court?4) What are my possible outcomes?5) Who will actually handle my case?6) What is my role in my case?More items...•
If you have been pulled over for allegedly driving under the influence, the best-case scenario you could hope for is that the officer(s) failed to gather enough evidence against you or made procedural, technical, or constitutional mistakes before, during or following your arrest.
7 Ways Family and Friends Can Help Loved Ones With a DUISave judgment for the courtrooms.Research Maryland DUI traffic laws and procedures.Get your friend help, fast -- ideally within the first 10 days after their traffic stop.Don't try to DIY a DUI defense.Proactively offer to drive them places before they ask.More items...•
12 Tough Questions to Ask a LawyerWhat's your opinion of the probate process?Under what conditions do you recommend a Living Trust?How do I protect my children from abusive relatives if something happens to me?Can I keep my kids from controlling their entire inheritance at 18?More items...•
During the consultation, the attorney will listen to the facts of your case and give you advice on the best way to approach each issue. Be candid and truthful with the attorney and tell him or her all pertinent facts related to your case, both good and bad.
– Fines are ”the best” outcomes for DUI, because you may risk your freedom as well. Based on the DUI crime severity, the offender may face a probation or jail time. If the conviction is for the 1st time, the probation may be up to 1 year or a jail time up to 9 months.
Potential Jail Time for a First-Time DUI As a first-time offence on summary conviction, the maximum penalty is $5,000 or a jail term of not more than “two years less a day,” or both. As previously noted, the maximum sentence for an indictable offence conviction for any basic DUI is 10 years imprisonment.
Minimum 180 days jail time (6 months), maximum 1 year or 16 months in state prison. DUI can be tried as a felony if you killed or severely injured someone, or if you have numerous repeat offenses. Felony DUI carries 1 to 5 years in state prison.
Forgive Yourself You can start by meditating or journaling to get your thoughts and feelings out. You might choose exercise to help moderate your emotions. An important thing is to take ownership of your thoughts and feelings and allow yourself to work through them with grace and forgiveness.
Your First DUI Is Not the End of the World It is never a good day to be charged with a criminal offense. But at the same time, it may feel like the end, but your world won't come crashing down if the offense is a standard DUI. In most states, a first DUI is a misdemeanor.
If they ask you directly about it, answer truthfully, even if you don't have an obligation to formally disclose the DUI. For licensed professionals, the job-related consequences of a conviction vary.
DUI lawyers, like all attorneys, don’t possess a magic crystal ball. While a DUI lawyer can’t guarantee case outcomes, they can predict possibilities based upon the unique facts of your case and their own training and experience with DUI law. Be sure to ask you DUI lawyer these questions: 1 Is a plea agreement a possibility? How about any motions such as a pre-trial motion to suppress evidence? 2 Which factors work in my favor and which work against me? 3 Should we go to trial?
A good DUI lawyer will be able to help you understand the law, the facts of your case, and any potential defenses that may be available to you. If you aren’t familiar with how to hire a qualified lawyer, here is a good place to start. Below you will find potential questions to ask your DUI lawyer at your first meeting.
Whether you were caught driving with a high blood alcohol content (BAC) or arrested for being too impaired by prescription drugs to safely operate a motor vehicle, driving under the influence (DUI) charges are taken very seriously by the court system. Penalties are generally two-fold: both criminal and administrative (you get your license taken away in addition to fines and a possible jail sentence). But you don’t have to go through the process alone. A good DUI lawyer will be able to help you understand the law, the facts of your case, and any potential defenses that may be available to you.
Are you certified by any DUI organizations such as the The National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) or similar state bar organization? Some states, such as Arizona, have a program where attorneys can get certified as a “DUI specialist” if they pass certain tests.
While a DUI lawyer can’t guarantee case outcomes, they can predict possibilities based upon the unique facts of your case and their own training and experience with DUI law. Be sure to ask you DUI lawyer these questions:
Whether you have been arrested for driving with a high blood alcohol content (BAC) or arrested for being too intoxicated to operate a vehicle safely, the court system treats DUI charges very seriously. DUI penalties are two-fold: both criminal and administrative charges can lead to license suspension, fines, and a jail term.
When entering a plea deal, a DUI attorney usually costs anywhere between $700 and $1,500. However, if your case ends up going to trial, the associated costs with this legal process range between $1,500 and $4,00 on average, or as costly as $10,000 for extreme cases.
A first DUI offense is categorized as a misdemeanor, and a conviction could mean up to six months in jail. However, the sentence could be longer if there are aggravating circumstances. But in most cases, first-time DUI offenders serve shorter jail sentences and spend the rest of their time performing community service or on probation. Also, for a first-time DUI offense, you could be looking at fines of up to $2,500 in Illinois.
Often, DUI cases are resolved through plea bargaining. This means that the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to a criminal charge in exchange for leniency from the prosecutor. A DUI plea bargain may involve the defendant pleading guilty to a DUI charge in exchange for the prosecutor, agreeing to fines and jail time that is less than the allowable maximum.
In such cases, a lawyer might not do much for you.
An attorney could be the only person standing between you and severe punishment for a crime that you might have not even committed. If you only had a drink or two, you may think that the court will have leniency in your case. That’s not true; the court will pursue the harshest punishment possible.
Check that the lawyer you are interviewing has a strong educational background and the right certification to adequately represent you.
In order to find the best legal representation for your case, you will want to choose a lawyer based off several key areas, including but not limited to background and certification, legal expertise, case assessment and management and legal fees.
While client/attorney confidentiality means that you won’t be able to learn the specifics of previous DUI cases that the lawyer has handled, they should still be able to give you a general idea of the cases they have previously worked on and what outcomes are possible.
A good lawyer will help you understand the law, handle your case expertly, and negotiate potential penalties through an effective defense.
DUI, or driving under the influence, is a serious offense, and can result in punishments ranging from heavy fines to jail time.
Facing a DUI charge can be stressful, alienating, and costly. But you don’t have to face it alone.
Dealing with a DUI charge is already expensive, with potential fines and the cost of alcohol treatment programs.