Effects of a DUI on You And Your Family

Retaining a DUI lawyer with skill and experience can literally save your family, because the toll a conviction takes can be a financially devastating proposition and can also cause much pain and suffering at home. It puts a strain on a marriage, can cost you your job, and embarrass you among friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.

If you are charged with DUI you should never assume that the case against you is cut and dried and enter a guilty plea on your own behalf. There is too much at risk in your life to not bring the best defense into court with you. If you are convicted, you are facing not only very severe penalties in fines and other costs but also the loss of driving privileges and possible jail time. You will also have the conviction on your record for the rest of your life. These consequences can result in the following:

Of course the best way to avoid a DUI conviction is not to get arrested in the first place. Use common sense while in a social situation outside your home. However, if you had an error in judgment, there may be extenuating circumstances that an experienced DUI attorney can use in your defense. For example, were you stopped for probable cause like careless driving or were you stopped strictly because you were seen leaving a bar? Were the field sobriety tests issued correctly and the results interpreted properly?

Many aspects of a DUI charge can be questioned as to their admissibility or accuracy, and only an experienced defense attorney can bring those questions to light in an influential manner. Before you step into a courtroom in defense of a DUI charge, be certain that you are accompanied by a defense attorney with an extensive background in handling cases like yours. There is too much at risk to go into battle without aggressive legal defense.

If the need arises and you have to retain an experienced DUI attorney, do your research. A good place to start is a website known as AVVO: Every attorney is listed by areas of practice, and there are client reviews regarding the performance of the attorney in their particular cases. It is also a good idea to find similar cases that have been favorably decided for the defendant and determine who the attorney of record was in the case. That information is available through public records and will require some investigative legwork; however, it will be beneficial in finding the right lawyer for a proper defense – defense that can save your family.