Thousands of people each year are charged with DUI in West Virginia and many hundreds are charged in the Charleston area. Before hiring a DUI lawyer in Charleston, there are certain things that you will need to know about them. It is a mistake to simply choose an attorney without meeting them and can be even more of a mistake if you don’t ask them some questions before allowing them to help you with your case. You should meet with a DUI lawyer in Charleston and ask them the following questions before you hire them.
Is Your Practice Dedicated to DUI Defense?
You will find many types of law firms in the Charleston area, but not all of them are totally focused on DUI charges. You will find law offices that practice in a wide range of legal areas, but the only one you will really care about is their DUI expertise. if you can find a firm that totally focuses on DUI and DUI only, that will be the option that makes the most sense.
Are Your Familiar With the Area and Do You Know the Judges and Prosecutors?
Another very important question to ask is if your potential DUI lawyer is familiar with the local areas and if they have a friendly and positive relationship with area judges and prosecutors. For the most positive results, you will want to make sure that they know the laws in the area as well as local regulations. Someone from out of town may not be familiar with these things. On top of that, if your DUI lawyer has a positive relationship with the judges and prosecutors in the area, they will know how to approach your case in the right way.
Do You Have at Least 15 Years of Criminal Defense Experience?
Finally, you will want to make sure that the DUI lawyer you choose has the right level of experience. You typically want to choose someone who has at least 15 years of experience in the defense field as these are the people who will have seen just about anything and everything when it comes to DUIs. Speaking of experience, any lawyer you choose should also have extensive training and be proud to tell you that they have attended seminars and are members of the National College for DUI Defense.
When it comes down to it, the decision on which DUI defense lawyer is not an easy one. You may feel overwhelmed or confused about their qualifications and you may feel pressured to make a choice. If you can simply follow the advice above and an attorney can answer “yes” to all of those questions, you probably will have a great partner on your side when it comes to your DUI defense.
When seeking a DUI lawyer in Charleston who has your needs on their mind, contact the Wagner Law Firm at 304-901-7400.
