Employ the same effort in finding a DWI lawyer, as you did in discovering a barber or a hair stylist.
A great many people travel across their city looking for the perfect person to cut their hair. How much time did you spend in deciding what car to buy or the what dog breed to buy for the family? Most people will evaluate, research, and search for things like hair stylists, automobile reports, and dog behavior, but then they pay the cheapest lawyer available. Others people ask their friend. Some people will blindly follow their friends experience with another lawyer. The problem is this: friends might appreciate their lawyer, but if a friend doesn't know about DWI defense it is seriously difficult for a friend to offer a fair assessment of their lawyer; they have little real understanding of whether that lawyer was effective. When you look for a DWI defense lawyer, do your homework. Shop for DWI defense lawyers based on experience in criminal and DWI defense and their advanced training in the field. I work as a criminal and DWI defense lawyer in the St. Louis and St. Charles areas of Missouri, and I hope more people make sure their St. Charles DWI lawyer or their St. Louis DWI lawyer have the proper training in DWI defense.
Ask about a lawyer's experience fighting cases through motions, depositions, and trial: experience matters.
Many people are surprised to discover that very few lawyers ever try a case in front of a jury. Moreover, even fewer lawyers ever go to trial defending a DWI charge, as most lawyers do not have the advanced training required to do a good job in this. Question a potential lawyer on whether they have conducted jury trials. Have they won "Not Guilty" verdicts? Be certain your lawyer is not starting with your case. As a practicing St. Louis DWI lawyer and a practicing St. Charles DWI lawyer, I do not like seeing people face charges with lawyers who lack the willingness and skill to mount a DWI defense at trial.
Do not hire a general practitioner to the job of a specialist.
Defending DWI cases requires a lawyer to understand principles of the scientific method, biology, physics, and police training. The proper defense of a DUI charge is among the most complicated tasks in criminal defense. You wouldn't hire a plumber to fix your lights. Don't hire a general practitioner to defend your DWI case. In my practice as a St. Louis DWI lawyer and a St. Charles DWI lawyer, I spend thousands of dollars to stay current on trends and defenses in criminal and DWI defense. Ask your St. Louis DWI lawyer or St. Charles DWI lawyer what DWI/DUI seminars they have attended in the last three years.
Watch out for lawyers that guarantee or promise an outcome.
Many attorneys make all kinds of commitments when clients are deciding if they should hire a lawyer. However, once the lawyer is paid, what is the protection of a disappointed client? There isn't much. If a lawyer hears the facts of your case and he claims thee case is a slam dunk or a single win, ask that attorney to put the promise in writing. No credible lawyer can promise particular results. A DWI defense lawyer with the right training and experience knows that promises should not be made in DWI defense.
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