The most important factor in choosing an attorney to fight your ticket is whether or not you feel comfortable hiring them. A large factor in your feeling comfortable is the attorney’s experience and their availability. You want an attorney who knows what they are doing. You also want an attorney who won’t ignore your calls. A good attorney can explain things to you in a way that you can understand them so you can make the best decision for you. When hiring an attorney ask them the following questions:
- How many times have you been in traffic court? The higher the number of times, the more likely it is that the attorney knows what they are doing. The more an attorney practices in a certain area, the more the attorney knows about it. Traffic court works differently than a criminal courtroom. The State is not present. It is only the officer who wrote you the ticket. This means the attorney’s approach has to be a bit different than in a traditional courtroom if they are going to win your case. If they have never been in traffic court before, an attorney may be out of their league.
- Are you available to answer my questions? You are the one who is has the ticket and the outcome of the case affects you. Make sure your attorney will take the time to answer all of your questions. Also make sure they will be willing to answer your call or e-mail rather than send you to an answering service.
Many times people want to know “how many cases have you won?” An attorney should not be afraid to answer this question. HOWEVER winning is not always a good indicator of a good attorney. It is always the client’s decision whether or not to fight their ticket. The attorney may tell the client he does not have a good case, but if the client wants to fight the ticket, then the attorney should fight the ticket. The same is true with good cases. If the attorney tells the client “I think you can win” but the client does not want the stress, then the attorney can’t fight the ticket. So it is better to ask the attorney how many favorable outcomes they have gotten for their client.
If an attorney is unwilling to answer these questions then they are not a good attorney for you! Make sure the attorney you hire knows the law. But more importantly, make sure they are willing to take the time to know a little bit about you.
