You should never plead guilty to DUI or criminal charges before consulting a qualified criminal defense attorney. They will provide you with valuable information concerning your charges as well as your options for legal representation and defense. A majority of criminal defense firms offer free consultation for recent and active charges.
Free Consultations
Here are some things you should know before scheduling a consultation:
- Ask if the Law Firm provides a free consultation, or if there is a charge for that service. You do not want to get an unexpected bill.
- The location of the consultation of the consultation is usually up to the attorney’s discretion. Many provide telephone consultations. Phone consultations can be just as effective by phone as in person, and save you the inconvenience of driving around, especially if your license was suspended or revoked due to the DUI charges.
- If you are incarcerated, law firms will either charge to go to the jail for the consultation, or include it as part of the pre-trial services if you retain them.
- Make sure you will be meeting with or talking to an actual experienced attorney and not a sales representative or customer service agent for the law firm.
- If you have are being represented by another law firm or a public defender, most attorneys will not discuss your case with you. The exception to this rule is if you are sincerely looking for another attorney in order to change counsel.
- The attorney will ask you some questions related to the charges. They generally need to get this information, so that they can in turn help you, and provide you with the most helpful information and options possible for your defense. Try to make your responses as accurate as possible. A good portion of the information they need will appear on the Citation given to you by the police following your arrest.
- Take this opportunity to interview the attorney. You are the employer in this case, and they will be working for you. You will want to ask about their experience; licensure; fees and what services the fees entail; if you are unable to pay the entire fee in advance, find out if they can arrange a flexible payment plan; who in their firm will be working on your case, if not them personally; who will be representing them in court, if not them; who you can speak with about questions and concerns you have during the stages of your case; what are the DUI or criminal case stages based on your charges; what you need to do to retain their services.