DUI Attorney - Red Flags to Watch Out For

If you are being charged with a drunk driving offense, you're probably better off hiring a DUI attorney than attempting to take the case on yourself. Even if you have no intention of contesting the charges, a good lawyer can give you advice that will come in handy when making your decisions. He can ensure that your rights are not (and have not been) trampled in an attempt to uphold the law. Many districts are overzealous in their attempts to wipe out drinking and driving. While it is undoubtedly an important topic, it is equally important to give everyone their due. Before you hire a lawyer, however, you need to know what to look for and, more importantly, what to watch out for.

Office Chair Lawyers

It may come as some surprise to learn that many a DUI attorney never gets up from behind their desk. They handle loads of cases, and yes, they show up in court from time to time, but for the most part they don't get involved in actually defending their clients. They offer advice from a distance, they run scenarios, and they process billing and paperwork. If you're going to spend the money on a lawyer, you should at least make sure you're getting something in return. Just having legal representation on record isn't going to do much for your case.

Relevant Experience

If you're looking for a DUI attorney, then by all means hire one. Don't just hire a generic criminal lawyer who spends most of his time defending burglars and gang members. You want someone with relevant experience. Every sub-field of the law has its own idiosyncrasies. The law changes all the time. You need someone who is an expert in the field and has handled dozens -- if not hundreds -- of cases very similar to your own. Not only will that give you the benefit of their knowledge, but they will know when something doesn't smell quite right.

Watch Out For Promises

You won't find many lawyers willing to give you concrete promises about your outcome, but every now and then a DUI attorney may become overconfident. Either that, or business has been slow and they're willing to say anything for you to hire them. Whatever the reasoning behind their promises, you need to think about running for the exit when they start talking in absolutes. Court cases are very unpredictable things and you never know what a judge might do on any given day. So if a lawyer tells you during your initial consultation that he can ensure you don't spend a day behind bars, you might want to regard that as a red flag.