Drinking is as much a social function as it is a personal one, and you can never really predict when it will get you into trouble. Sure, it is innately a bad habit to pursue. But when refuse to accept a drink from a potential business partner or your father in law, it sends an underlying and misconstrued message disrespect, which obviously is not a sentiment you want to convey. In the social context, your best and only option is to give yourself a break and have yourself a drink. However, the law does not look that kindly on the act, especially when mixed with driving. With this in mind, it is vital that you equip yourself with a good lawyer just in case you get caught up in compromising situations.
Choose a competent lawyer
Now, the fortunate thing about the intent is that there are plenty of lawyers out there who serve the niche and are quite capable of lending you a hand when you need it. But on the end of that spectrum, not all of them will be good enough to win your case. So you can’t really be that confident in the available choices. Remember that not all attorneys are equipped with the same education, experience, confidence and connections to turn things in your favor. So you need to be decisive about the decisions you make when it comes to hiring one for your legal defense.
Scrutinize level of experience
First and foremost, you should look into the potential lawyer’s experience and inquire how much of his tenure and cases had been spent on handling “Driving While Intoxicated” issues. See, if the answer is less than 50%, you can’t really count on them to be well-rounded of the proceedings involved as well as the complex scientific principles observed. It’s not like a murder hearing is the same as a DWI. There are certain intricacies practiced or omitted in one to be successful in the other. So in as much as you would not approach an IM practitioner if you have a fracture, you are certainly ill-advised to align with an attorney that has not handled similar cases or is not specializing in it.
Special expertise in DWI
Second, you must inquire about his personal and professional knowledge about alcohol intoxication tests and their admissibility or inadmissibility in court. See, a bulk of the case against you when it comes to DWI will be reliant on the breath analyzer exams, the manner by which it was handled and interpreted as well as the police officer’s accounts. If he can dissect everything that occurred in your circumstance and discredit each through the ideals which he knows to be true, then you are bound to be off the hook in no time. See, an effective lawyer, regardless of the main practice, should not only be familiar of the ins and outs of legal codes. He should also be aware of the situation and its processes in the same way as a forensic expert. This is the only manner by which he can deduce whether or not something is legal or illegal, acceptable or refutable, and ethical or just plain immoral.
Look for a track record
Now, thirdly, you should also pay attention to the success rate of the DWI lawyer you are considering as well as the guarantees he can provide for his services since that basically decides your fate. One’s track record says a lot about a person, whatever profession he may be in. And if your lawyer has had a lot of wins, you can certainly bet he’s not about to tarnish his reputation by losing your case. Of course, this is not to say that those who have lost some court battles are poor attorneys. It’s just that you stand to gain more with someone who has won repeatedly and who knows how to manage your particular dilemma than with a person who’s about to make your case a learning experience. For such a simple problem as DWI, what you want is a less expensive and less traumatic court encounters.
Economy does not always equate to quality
However, even if you are looking to save on costs with the aforementioned, that does not imply that you can compromise the quality of assistance you get by going with the cheapest candidate. Your freedom and dignity are not commodities you could exchange for a couple of grand. The most you can do to protect your interests financially is to be aware of what a certain defense attorney would charge for a DWI court proceeding. Typically, they will impose a flat rate so you can be in control of the expenses. But time and again, you may be pitched with an hourly offer, which would appear attractive at first. If you wish to be cost-efficient, stay away from the option as you may end up with more to pay.
Prevention is better than cure
But what could really do to spare yourself from all this trouble is to make good decisions when it comes to drinking. If you have to accept a glass or two, make sure you spend ample time recuperating before you hit the road. Stay overnight if you can. Or have someone drive you home instead. If you have no one you can bother, take a taxi and fetch your car early the next morning. True, it might be a little inconvenient. But it’s not as inconvenient as facing a judge.
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Cedric Loiselle is a highly talented writer providing quality articles for a wide range of niches including business and finance, as well as legal issues. If you are looking for a competent Louisiana DWI lawyer, you will surely get a lot of helpful information from his articles.