Happy Labor Day, or Not

Simple Advice When Searching for a Criminal Defense or DUI Lawyer

I woke up this morning, happy to not to have to shave, put on a suit and drive to court somewhere in Southern California. Although I know I will have to pay for the holiday somehow, I can enjoy today as any other day off: I get up later, I leisurely read the newspaper, sip my coffee and there it is, staring at me in black and white, another DUI checkpoint snares several unlucky drivers. I guess these folks didn’t read my last post about how to avoid a DUI over Labor Day.

For those of you who were the unlucky few to get caught or if you otherwise had the misfortune of losing your liberty this weekend, I have a prepared a few pieces of advice in your search to hire a lawyer. Please note that this list is by no means exclusive and is in no particular order.

1. If the person you speak to on the phone is not a lawyer or is not THE lawyer who will be representing you in court there may be a problem. This is usually a sign that the law firm is a mill. They take in so many clients that the lawyer doesn’t even have time to talk to them himself.
2. If you are not able to speak to the lawyer you seek to hire before meeting him, there may be a problem. If the lawyer doesn’t have time to talk to you before you pay him, he will not likely have time to talk to you after you pay him.
3. If the lawyer you speak with on the phone does not want to meet with you in person, there may be a problem. See number two above.
4. If the lawyer you speak with on the phone has offices in too many places, there may be a problem. This is normally a sign of a “bait and switch” firm where one lawyer advertises and lot and once hired, he sends his flunky to court for your case.
5. If what the lawyer tells you on the phone or in person sounds too good to be true, there may be a problem. Remember what your parents always told you: If it sounds too good to be true it likely is.
6. If what the lawyer tells you on the phone or in person scares you to death, there may be a problem. This is a common tactic to instill fear in order to get you to open your wallet.
7. If the price the lawyer quotes you for your case is too cheap or too expensive, there might be a problem. This is just common sense.
8. If the lawyer you talk to is not familiar with your particular problem (i.e. DUI) there might be a problem. Does the lawyer practice criminal defense and DUI defense every day? If not, find someone who does.
9. If the lawyer you talk to is not familiar with the location where you will be going to court, there might be a problem. If not, be certain that the lawyer you are about to hire really knows his stuff. Finally and possibly most importantly;
10. If the hairs on the back of your neck stand up; if the little voice inside your head is talking to you; or if you get a sick feeling in your stomach when you meet the lawyer you are thinking of hiring, there might be a problem.

If you or someone close to you has been arrested for DUI or any other criminal charge, call me for a free, confidential evaluation of your case. Or, if you have doubts about the lawyer you already hired, call me for a second opinion about how things are going with your current lawyer.

Attorney Jeffrey Vallens (818) 783-5700 or (888) 764-4340 or Email Me.