Have you recently received a traffic ticket that you feel was unjust? Do you want to fight the ticket so that you can avoid points on your license or other penalties, but you're not sure how to find a good lawyer? Finding and hiring a good traffic lawyer doesn't have to be difficult, but there are a few questions that you should ask your potential attorney before hiring him or her. Some of these questions include:
Is the total cost guaranteed? Unlike some types of legal representation, a traffic lawyer will often charge a flat fee depending on the supposed offense and the going rate in the area. This fee should cover everything related to your case, from whatever paperwork needs to be done to appearing in court with you. But some lawyers might have additional fees that depend on the circumstances. For example, if you get to court and your case winds up being postponed until the next day due to a busy docket, some attorneys might charge an additional court appearance fee. Make sure you know ahead of time exactly what is expected of you as far as payment goes.
Who will be representing this case in court? For small law firms, you will usually talk to the traffic lawyer who will actually represent you in court. For larger law firms, you might meet with one lawyer at the office and another lawyer will be the one who represents you in court. While there is nothing wrong with this practice, you do have a right to know exactly who will be handling your case and exactly how much they will know about the ticket that you received. For the best possible outcome, you will want to engage a firm where the lawyers spend at least a little time going over the facts of your case, not just glancing over it a few minutes before your court appearance.
Have you handled cases like this before? Some traffic citations are easy to fight while others can be more difficult. For example, if you are accused of running a stop sign at a corner that is notorious for having trees that hide the sign from view, your traffic attorney may have fought the exact same ticket several times before and won. On the other hand, a speeding ticket may be more difficult, but not impossible, to fight. Knowing the attorney's past record when it comes to similar situations can give you a good idea as to whether or not your case will have a good outcome for you.
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