Be Realistic About Your Drunk Driving Defense Case

Don’t expect your DWI Attorney to be a magician

Your lawyer can only be your best possible advocate, not a magician.

This means two things:

First, if you decided to drive after drinking alcohol, you may ultimately be held liable for this in the form of a conviction.

One of the reasons to obtain the best possible legal representation you can afford is that with greater experience and known reputation for success, your carefully-selected lawyer should be able to help you through the legal process as smoothly as possible.

After a full assessment of all evidence, this veteran trial lawyer may be able to utilize his or her experience to accurately predict what you can likely expect at any stage of the legal process.

However, your lawyer is not the one who makes the ultimate decision as to the result of your case. The jury and/or the judge decide this, depending on whether it is a jury trial or a non-jury (bench) trial.

Second, your lawyer should be able to explain to you in plain English exactly what he or she has done or is doing for you.

Good lawyering means thinking, planning, studying and working, not chanting and casting spells.

Don’t ask your attorney to be a crook while fighting your charges of DUI Offenses

Your lawyer must zealously represent you as your advocate before the court and the rest of the world.

However, your lawyer cannot lie or misrepresent the facts or the law to the court, even if doing so would be in your best interest.

If your lawyer does lie to the court or misrepresent anything to the court, he or she could face disbarment and possibly face criminal charges.

In an effort to save your license to drive, do not expect your lawyer to risk his or her license to practice law.

Don’t treat your drunk driving lawyer’s staff like they are your family members

For as long as it takes to handle your case, that is what your attorney’s staff are going to be.

With little doubt, being arrested for DUI-DWI is one of the worst things that has ever happened to you.

It will seem like there are very few people on your side, while the prosecution and the police seem to have endless resources.

The best and most important asset you have on your side is your attorney and the people who work for and with your attorney to help your attorney in this fight.

Although you may never see them, an experienced DUI-DWI attorney will have paralegals, legal secretaries, other lawyers and investigators all coming together as a team to help you in your legal fight.

Every part of this team is important. This “closeness” or “family connection” does not mean you can abuse them.

Remember, people work harder for people they like and respect.

The best teams work like a family – with trust and caring tempered with being able to tell the other person honestly that what they are doing is wrong.

Treat the other people working in your lawyer’s office like you would want to be treated.

An experienced trial attorney will know his staff’s dedication and support them in any disputes that arise from your boorish or offensive behavior.

Don’t ask your lawyer’s staff to do something illegal, unprofessional, or in contradiction of what their employer has taught them to do.

If you try to make the staff, or the lawyer, choose between you and the people at the office, you will lose. Don’t lose your attorney by acting improperly toward his or her staff.