Does anyone know of any good inexpensive DUI attorneys in seattle wa?
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 at
7:54 pm
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check the state bar for a lawyer referral service. fees for some are based on your income/ability to pay.
There are good attorneys, and there are inexpensive attorneys. But there are very few attorneys who are both inexpensive and good. Just like musicians, artists, doctors, and lots of other professionals, the more experienced and successful a lawyer is, the more likely he or she is to charge higher fees.
What you need to decide is whether you actually need a top-rank attorney. If you have a very strong defense case (in other words, if the police screwed up in some way that will be obvious when you get to court), you can and should save some money by hiring a less-expensive lawyer to represent you. That usually means getting a relatively new lawyer just starting out. A person like that may be smart and hard working, even if he doesn’t have a lot of experience. As the previous answer suggests, one way to get a referral is to go to the bar association. If you are in Seattle, the King County bar’s attorney referral program is the place to start:
But this assumes you have a relatively simple case. if you have a serious problem, you should give very careful thought to hiring someone with a ton of experience in DUI. A conviction on DUI can affect more than just your driving privileges. It can injure your ability to earn a living. And if there are prior offenses, it can mean jail time. You really want to take your best shot if your life and livelihood are on the line. And even if this is a first offense, a really good lawyer can get into the more subtle issues of how your test was administered and whether the police followed proper procedure. If you can afford it, it can be worth while. (Of course, even with a really good lawyer, you will be convicted if they have you cold, but it makes sense to have them show they did everything according to law.).
I am an attorney, but I would NEVER defend myself on a DUI charge. It’s just not part of what I do professionally, and I would put myself in the hands of someone who has experience in that area. I wish you luck.