10 Questions to Ask Your Propsective DUI Attorney
Needing a lawyer for DUI defense or criminal defense is unlike needing a lawyer for anything else. First, it’s a little embarrassing to let people know you are in trouble, even if you are innocent (which all of my clients are). Second, it seems like people don’t really know that many criminal defense lawyers. They don’t necessarily run in the same circles as many people (though I am a Seattle DUI attorney and feel like all of my friends and acquaintances are sophisticate!) and if you don’t know one it’s just kind of hard to find one.
The thing about being charged with a crime, though, is it is serious business. If you are charged with DUI, you are looking at some pretty severe penalties. You don’t want to just sign up with the first DUI attorney you see. You need to find someone that is competent to represent you and will give you the best chance to stay out of trouble.
To help you out, I’ve put together a list of ten questions to ask your prospective DUI lawyer. They should be able to answer all of these questions. If they can’t or you don’t like their answers, then you might want to look for someone else to help you. Here we go:
1. How long have you been a DUI or criminal attorney?
2. What percentage of your practice is devoted to practicing DUI/criminal defense?
3. How many of your clients plead guilty as charged? (If it’s more than 10%, it should be a red flag)
4. What organizations do you belong to? How do they help me?
5. How are your fees structured?
6. Are you prepared to go to trial if necessary?
7. How confident are you that this case can be won? (If someone tells you 100%, big red flag – what you want to hear is that they are going to do everything they can to get you the best result and find out what would be a “win” for you)
8. Do you have any special training?
9. What makes you different from everyone else?
10. Why should I choose you over the next DUI attorney out there?
Asking these ten questions will give you some insight into who your prospective criminal defense attorney is. If you don’t like the answers, move on to someone else. A criminal charge is something that can follow you around for a long time. Don’t just settle for the first person you see.
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