Selecting a DWI Attorney
Your top priority when finding a lawyer to represent you should be choosing one who has experience handling drunk driving cases. DWI laws change all the time, and the punishments are consistently growing harsher. If convicted, you face severe penalties – along with being labeled as a criminal for the rest of your life.
If this is your first offense, you probably feel very lost. Who do you call? How do you choose from the seemingly endless number of lawyers? If you’ve been through this before and you’re looking for a different attorney, you know the value of hiring one experienced with DWI cases. Just being a lawyer doesn’t make someone qualified enough to handle your case. You need someone who will fight for you and go to all lengths to defend you, because a conviction lasts forever.
If you’ve heard local bar association referral services are the way to go, think again. They do not screen for qualifications, so you’re just given a name from a list. Likewise, just because a lawyer has an ad doesn’t mean he has experience. So how do you choose a DWI defense attorney?
Look for someone who devotes the majority or all of their time to defending drunk driving cases. Nobody can give you a guaranteed outcome (and beware of lawyers that try to assure you of one), but this will increase the likelihood that you’ll be found not guilty.
Trust your gut! If you don’t feel confident or comfortable after meeting with the attorney, keep looking. After your meeting, you should know and feel the following:
- The lawyer has a track record of trying DWI cases.
- The lawyer doesn’t have a reputation for pleading clients guilty.
- The lawyer has actually won difficult cases.
- The lawyer’s communication skills made you feel at ease.
- The lawyer was genuinely interested in your case.
- The lawyer listened when you spoke.
- The financial agreement was clearly defined.
- You feel confident in the lawyer’s ability to try your case.
Doug Wilder is a member of the National College for DUI Defense, a national organization of the country’s best DWI defense attorneys. Members stay in constant contact, exchanging new ideas on how to successfully defend our clients.
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We understand that a drunk driving conviction is not an option for you. At The Wilder Firm, we strive for all our clients to be found NOT GUILTY. For a quick response or free evaluation of your DUI/DWI arrest, please contact our Texas drunk driving attorneys at 469-227-0772.