Preliminary Considerations for Non-Attorneys

If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), the most important decisions to be made are whether to hire an attorney and, if so, which attorney to hire. Non-attorneys need to know that DUI defense is a specialized area of the law. There are complex issues involving the interplay between the DUI criminal case and the DUI Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) case. Also, if an individual holds a professional license, such as a doctor, lawyer, stock broker, nurse, teacher, or pilot, there are other potential ramifications to that person's ability to continue practicing their profession. As well, if the person arrested is a non-citizen, there are issues which may affect that person's privilege to remain the United States.

Once the decision has been made to hire an attorney, the next question is whom to hire. The best advice I can offer is to seek out someone who specializes in DUI cases and has demonstrated familiarity in the particular court where the case will be filed. It is not necessarily the best decision to hire an attorney simply because he or she has an office in the same city as the courthouse. In making the decision, answering the following three questions may prove to be helpful. First, is the attorney competent? Second, do you trust the attorney to do what he or she said they would do? Third, can you work work with them?

If the answer to any of the above three questions is no, you should consider interviewing another attorney.

Please take some time to visit our websites:

San Francisco DUI Attorney
San Mateo DUI Lawyer
Marin County DUI Defense
Northern California DUI Defense Lawyers
San Francisco County DUI Defense Lawyers
California DUI Defense Lawyers
Oakland DUI Lawyers