In Illinois DUI cases are taken so seriously and a DUI civil lawsuit trends to move really fast in the criminal justice system. For this reason it is important to hire an attorney when you have been arrested for driving under influence. Driving under influence cases are taken really seriously and the court system and there are different kinds of penalties that you can get. You may have to pay fines get a license suspension or even get jail time.
In order for you to be able to fight the DUI charges that you are facing it is important to hire a qualified DUI attorney that will help you at every stage during the process. A DUI attorney will help you understand the laws revolving around your case and you will get to know the different strategies that are available in your situation. When looking for the best DUI attorney there are questions that you will need to ask them so you evaluate if they are the best person for the job.
The questions that you ask a DUI lawyer will help you find a competent attorney to handle you case. If you are not sure about the best questions to ask a potential attorney here are some attorney interview questions that can help.
After getting arrested due to DUI criminal charges you are likely to go through a phase whereby you are emotional and afraid of the outcomes of the charges you are facing. In recent years DUI convictions have increasingly had severe penalties. For this reason it is important for you to get a qualified attorney to represent you. You need an attorney who has a lot of history representing individuals who are facing DUI charges. Also, you need to evaluate how many wins they have had in those cases. If the lawyer has many DUI case wins and they specialize in handling DUI cases you may have a found a lawyer that you can trust.
No DUI case is the same. There are different facts and situations surrounding the case. When you go to an experienced criminal defense attorney they will take into account the facts, laws, and the best resolutions for your case. An experienced attorney can use a weakness that they find in the case against you such as there being evidence that has not been presented to the court for consideration. If they are able to use a strong defense you case can get an outright dismissal of charges or the penalties and charges against you can be reduced.
Even though different DUI cases vary there is a likelihood of a judge making the same ruling on similar cases. An experienced drunk driving attorney has been in court for several cases and will be able to understand the different instances that can prompt a judge to make certain decisions. A major factor that can influence the ruling of your DUI case is having a prior DUI conviction. Having a previous history of a DUI convictions can result in severe penalties if you get convicted. Even so, you cannot be sure of the outcome but you can have insight on how cases similar to yours can be handled in a criminal court.
From the time you are arrested to the time the time your case goes to trial a DUI case can take a few months before a final resolution is made. Most of the times a DUI case will take a short period of time in court compared to other cases. However, there are complex or complicated issues that could result in the case being lengthy.
When a case goes to trial then the process will most of the times be a longer. This is because there will be need for the case to be given a schedule in the court’s calendar. Most of the times you will want for your case to handled quickly so you can go about with your life. However, it is important to allow your criminal defense lawyer the fair amount of time that they need to work so they can get you the best possible resolution. That resolution can be a plea agreement or you may have to proceed to court for trial.
Most of the times if you are a first time DUI offender you will not get a jail sentence even though in certain instances it is possible. On the other hand, if you have criminal charge history or the case is a subsequent DUI offense there is a high likelihood of you going into mandatory incarceration depending on the DUI laws in Illinois. Most of the states in the country have laid out mandatory jail sentences in regards to DUI case.
There are times that you will talk to the head criminal defense lawyer during an initial consultation larger firms and they will not be the one to handle your case. There are lawyers that pass on you case to another lawyer and they do not handle cases themselves.
Find out if the lawyer you are speaking with will be the one to handle your case and if they are not, ask questions about the lawyer who will handle your case. Ask about their qualifications and their track record so you can make sure that you have the best person representing you.
Money is a major factor and it will determine the DUI lawyer or law firm that you choose to work with. Find out out about the lawyer charge and the available payment options.
Criminal lawyers can be pricey. This is because aside from representing your case they may have to hire private investigators and other experts that will help in your case. The cost of hiring these experts can result in you having to pay more for their services and cause financial strain to you.
It is important to find out if they have a payment plan and also for you to be honest about what you can afford. The potential lawyer should as well be honest with you about their standard rates and additional charges. The conversation about the hourly rate and the payment terms with the potential lawyer will determine if you will move forward.
Most of the times your driver’s license will get suspended after getting arrested if you do not take the necessary steps and act quickly. There is a time limit for you to a file an appeal asking for a hearing after your driving privileges have been suspended. If you do not file for an appeal of your suspension on time then your license will be suspended for certain duration of time.
Even though it is possible for a judge to order for your license to be suspended under special circumstances you can get a restricted driving license. An RDL will allow you to move within a certain area to either go to work, school take the kids to school or go to hospital for treatment.
At Dohman Law Group we are experienced lawyers who have been in and out of the court room offering legal representation to our clients and have gotten the best-case scenario for most of our clients. If you are facing DUI/DWI charges we would like to valuate your case and answer your sets of questions. Schedule an initial consultation and let us talk!
