How to Find a Qualified California DUI Defense Lawyer by Nors Davidson

More than 210,000 attorneys are licensed to practice law in California. Of that number, 156,000 lawyers actively practice and provide legal services to the more than 38 million state residents. The Office of Traffic and Safety reports more than 180,000 people are arrested each year in California for driving under the influence.

At some point in their career, many California attorneys represent a person arrested for driving under the influence. However, very few of these lawyers, even those who regularly represent clients in DUI cases, are qualified to do so. The simple fact is that driving under the influence defense is a specialized area of the law, requiring training and experience beyond that which attorneys ordinarily receive during the course of a general law practice.

Accordingly, deciding upon which attorney to hire merits careful consideration. A skilled DUI defense attorney in California may make a significant difference in the outcome because all cases have the potential for a reduced sentence, dismissal or a finding of not guilty following trial. However, if the client decides not to risk taking the case to trial, a skilled drunk driving defense attorney must work to minimize the impact and reduce the consequences by negotiating the best possible settlement.

Many mistakes can be made by those arrested for a driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The most common mistake is not hiring a qualified DWI attorney, followed by delaying the hiring of a qualified attorney until critical time limits have passed and valuable rights are lost. Among the most valuable rights which may be lost is the opportunity to challenge the automatic suspension of a California driver's license or privilege to drive in the state of California following a DUI arrest.

Additionally, those accused of DUI should seriously consider hiring an attorney because driving under the influence cases become progressively more complex and the penalties upon conviction become more severe if a person has more than one driving under the influence conviction. Furthermore, increases in penalties, called enhancements, may apply if the breath or blood test indicated high blood alcohol levels, the driver is accused of refusing to submit to a chemical test, or if a person other than the driver is injured in a DUI accident.

Understandably, people want to minimize the expense of hiring an attorney. However, it is important to understand that the least expensive attorney is seldom the best. Typically, the least expensive attorney is inexperienced or will handle a large number of cases and be unable to deliver a high level of service to individual clients. On the other hand, merely hiring the most expensive attorney is no guarantee of a better result. While the outcome may depend upon the ability of the attorney, the specific facts of the case and circumstances surrounding the arrest are a critical component as well.

Furthermore, anyone seeking an attorney to handle a DUI case should know that the seemingly most qualified lawyer or law firm may not necessarily be the best. People are often attracted to a law firm based upon the reputation of a particular attorney or publications which that attorney may have written. However, many attorneys devote significant time and resources developing their individual or firm resume as a marketing tool rather than working on client cases.

In fact, it is not uncommon for the named attorney at a law office to not handle any aspect of a client's case whatsoever. For this reason, anyone considering hiring a lawyer should obtain a commitment that the leading attorney will actually work on the case. Additionally, some attorney rating services will only review an attorney for a fee. For this reason, ratings may not be an accurate indicator of the attorney's skill and may not translate into high quality legal services being delivered to clients.

Membership in professional organizations and attendance at seminars focusing on DUI defense may demonstrate an attorney's commitment to the specialty. Such a commitment directly benefits the client. Similarly, California DUI defense law firms with more than one attorney specializing in DUI defense should demonstrate commitment to clients by regularly sending its attorneys to practice related training and seminars.

In conclusion, while no attorney can guarantee a particular result, the information detailed above will maximize the probability of finding the most qualified attorney to handle a driving under the influence the case in order to ensure the most favorable result.

For More Information: http://www.californiaduidefense.com/

About The Author

Mr. Davidson is from Sun Valley, Idaho where he studied for his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Idaho. He also received his law degree from the University of San Francisco, the School of Law. Mr. Davidson has been practicing law since 2002 and is a member in good standing with the State Bar of California. For further information visit his California DUI Attorney website http://www.californiaduidefense.com/.