Once someone has been arrested for DUI, the next most important decision to make is whether to hire a lawyer. Several components factor into this decision. However, once the decision has been made, what are the criteria to ensure the best choice possible? The first is to trust your instinct. Your inner voice will, in most cases, make you aware that you are moving in the right direction. Many people are completely intimidated by the process of selecting a lawyer because they understand that although they exercise control over whom they will choose; the choice itself is made completely upon faith. That is why I say trust your instinct. In other words, your level of comfort with the person selected.
The choice is important because DUI carries such severe penalties and hiring a lawyer can be very expensive. The wrong choice can have disastrous consequences. I understand that so far I may be stating the obvious but when I see and hear about the poor decisions some folks have made in this process I cannot be too concerned with understatment. DUI defense in Florida is very serious business. This is true regardless of whether the DUI was in Miami-Dade County, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County or Palm Beach County.
Some things to consider are the amount of time the lawyer has spent defending DUIs. Experience is a premium in the legal profession. The more the lawyer has seen and done, the more prepared he is to handle your case. I have been defending clients accused of DUI in Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, Monroe and Palm Beach County for twenty-five years. During that time I have traveled across the State of Florida to handle DUI cases. I have even traveled as far as New Jersey and Omaha, Nebraska. I have detailed my experience throughout my website. I WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE LEVEL AND DEPTH OF MY EXPERIENCE DEFENDING DUIs in FLORIDA.
The amount of expertise the lawyer has in defending DUIs. The greater the amount of knowledge the lawyer has in his field the better equipped he is to bring that knowledge to your case to use to your advantage. A lawyer with lots of knowledge will find ways to let you know about his credentials even before the initial consultation. The lawyer with plenty of experience and knowledge wants the potential client to be fully aware of his credentials. If your research does not turn up any information or little information concering the level of knowledge or expertise, it is because the lawyer has none or so little that it is better if potential clients are unaware. I pride myself on my level of knowledge and expertise. My website is heavily weighted with descriptions of my crendentials and accomplishments. I WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT ME BECAUSE IT SEPARATES ME FROM OTHER DUI DEFENSE LAWYERS.
Also, what has the lawyer actually accomplished? This investigation should be more than an examination of wins. Although the number of wins may have some significance. It is not nearly as important as how the cases were won. I have included in my site the different types of wins. That is, wins from jury trials, wins from motions and legal technicalities ( I am fanatical about legal loopholes and technicalities), and wins from appeals. I describe each case in clear and careful language and I explain just as clearly how the case was won. In addition, has the lawyer drawn media attention or peer recognition, not just in general or for unrelated topics, but specifically for work done on DUI cases? Has the lawyer lectured or taught DUI topics and has he been published for writing about DUI topics?
Lastly, is communication. The relationship between lawyer and client is based upon complete trust. That trust is built up through clear and unambiguous communication. The lawyer must be accessible. In my practice it is very important that clients know they can reach me easily when they need to. It is important that clients are aware at all times of what exactly in going on in their case. If you ask your lawyer a question and you walk away not feeling comfortable about the answer or if you feel uncomfortable even asking your lawyer a question because you are afraid, then the lawyer is NOT doing his job! Lawyers will give unclear or evasive answers because they feel that they can get away with it. An evasive or unclear answer means two things. The lawyer does not know the correct answer to your question or the lawyer is disguising the fact that no work has been done on your case.
I encourage my clients to communicate with me. I encourage them to ask questions and not to leave the conversation until they are completely satisified with my responses. I am fortunate to have been blessed with excellent communication skills. I find it easy to interact with my clients and I believe it has led to my continued success.
If you have been arrested for DUI in Fort Lauderdale, Miami-Dade County or anywhere else in Broward County or Palm Beach County or anywhere else in the State of Florida, I encourage you to seek counsel. I encourage you to choose an experienced Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney and put my representations to the test.
