Drinking Under Influence (DUI) charges in Orange County,
California can be costly. From fines and penalties, probation to years of
summary probation, this is one of the legal issues you cannot take lightly. It
even gets worse if you have caused death or severe injuries or it’s the fourth
DUI charge within 10 years. That’s because, under California
DUI law, you should be charged with a felony case in these three cases. That
means you are likely to spend years in jail or pay hefty fines and penalties. So,
you need to hire the best Orange County DUI lawyers to defend you and more so avoid
conviction.
There many Best DUI lawyers in Orange County, CA, but finding a
good one can be a complicated process. Here are 10 tips for hiring best Orange
County DUI attorneys who can help you fight your charges and avoid conviction:
1.DUI Experience
The first thing that you need to check in a DUI lawyer in
Orange County is its experience. This is where most people get it wrong and
end up being convicted. Experience is all about the number of cases that the
lawyer has handled for the period that they have been in practice. It is also
important to note that DUI charges are not the same. If you are being charged for
the third time in 10 years, your charges are more serious compared to a
first-time offender. So go for a lawyer or law firm with vast experience in
this field and has handled many DUI cases similar to yours.
2.First Impressions Matter
The first impression is a crucial factor when hiring a DUI
attorney. How easy was it to get an appointment with the lawyer? Did the lawyer
give you time to speak? Did the DUI attorney provide the answers to your
question? Were you impressed by their customer service? These are some of the
questions that will help rate your first impression. If you were happy with
your first encounter with the lawyer, hire them. But if you were not impressed,
avoid them.
3.Passion for the law
Just like any other profession, passion is very important
when it comes to lawyers. There are attorneys who are there for the money and
have got no passion for the law. Such lawyers can be identified by the way they
represent their argument in the court. We highly recommend that you hire
lawyers who love their work. There are so many ways you can identify a
passionate lawyer from the start. If they are taking time to listen to you and
show interest in your case, then they are good for you.
4. Check Testimonials
If there are is good to tell a good lawyer is by reading
testimonials. If the attorney has been in practice in Orange County for a
while, then they must have served a number of people. That’s why you need to
look for their prior clients’ testimonials to know what people are saying
about. Look at their social media profiles and websites to see what people are
saying. We also recommend that you look for forums where people are talking
about their experience with lawyers in this county. Lastly, you can ask friends
about the lawyers you may want to work with.
5.Relationship with The Prosecutor
The relationship of the DUI attorney with the court is an
important tip most people forget. You can easily tell a good lawyer based on
the relationship he/she has with the court. A lawyer that has a good relationship
with the court shows professionalism in their work. They are professionals and
have better chances of saving you from a conviction. A lawyer who has a bad
standing with the local prosecutor might get you convicted due to prejudiced.
So checking the relationship that the DUI attorney has with the local the prosecutor is a crucial factor to consider.
6.Size of the Firm
Before you pick the law firm to represent in court, it is
important that you consider their size. What is the number of their lawyers
vis-à-vis the number of cases they are handling? If the firm has few lawyers
and tons of court cases, then your case might not get the attention it
requires. So, you might end up getting a conviction or hefty fines in a DUI
case that you could have won. Pick a large firm that has many lawyers and fewer clients,
because they will give your cases the attention that it deserves.
7. Communication Is Key
Like all criminal cases, going through the DUI court process
can be very stressful. So you need to high a lawyer who will make it easy to
communicate with. They should provide you with all the information you need to
know about your case. However, you can only know about lawyer’s communication
ratings by researching and asking their prior customers. Go for the best-rated
attorney. That’s another tip for hiring the best Orange County DUI attorneys.
8.Disciplined DUI Lawyers
Another mistake the people make when hiring Orange County
DUI attorney is failing to search if they have been disciplined in their
career. If the lawyer has been disciplined by the bar, it means that they have
discipline issues, and they lack professionalism in their work. So you should look
for a lawyer that has never been disciplined by the bar. It shows
professionalism.
9.Is It One Attorney or A Team of Attorneys
There are many benefits that come with working a law firm
that has many experienced attorneys. Such firms usually brainstorm a case, and
thus the chances of avoiding a conviction are higher. That is not the same when
dealing with a single attorney. He could be one of the best Orange County DUI
attorneys, but he cannot outperform a group of experienced lawyers. So go for a
law firm with many and experienced DUI attorneys.
10.Legal fees
Last but not least is the issue of legal fees. This is one
of the questions that most people ask when hiring a DUI attorney. First, work
within your budget. Lawyers have different rates depending on their experience,
among other factors. However, don’t go cheap because the quality of the service
might be poor. However, the best orange county DUI attorneys are affordable. So
look around before settling on a DUI attorney.
So, if you want to hire an Orange County DUI lawyer, these
are some of the crucial things to look out for. With these 10 tips, there is no
doubt that you will get yourself the best Orange County DUI lawyers.
