One in five Americans has received one or more traffic tickets in the past five years.
Are you facing a fine, or perhaps a more serious offense for a traffic ticket? If so, you may wish to consider hiring a traffic ticket attorney who can help you through the process.
Unlike other crimes, you don’t have the right to a traffic ticket lawyer. As such, there are several factors to consider before deciding if a lawyer is the right one for you and your case, as you’ll be paying out of pocket.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the factors to consider before hiring a traffic ticket lawyer.
Read on for more information.
1. Before Hiring a Traffic Ticket Lawyer: Consider the Cost of the Ticket
Depending on how serious your offense is, the cost of the ticket might be less than you would pay a lawyer to fight it in court. For some people, that’s enough to motivate them to decide to pay the ticket instead of fighting it in court.
However, the offense will stay on your record for up to seven years, depending on where you live and the severity of the offense. As such, if it is worth it to you, it may be a better option to hire a lawyer, even if it is more expensive. This may especially be the case if you have several offenses on your record, and another one will lead to further consequences such as loss or suspension of your license.
2. Ask the Lawyer About Their Experience in Fighting Traffic Tickets
Before you hire a lawyer, you want to choose one with a lot of experience fighting traffic tickets. This is a two-fold question you’ll want to ask when sussing out if the firm or lawyer is right for you.
You’ll want to first ask how many years the firm or particular lawyer has been practicing. While this is a vital number, you’ll also need to know how many cases they have litigated. The higher the number, the better, as this represents more experience than the number of years they’ve been in the game.
The more cases they’ve litigated, especially successfully, is often the key when it comes to hiring a lawyer.
3. How Much Will It Cost?
While attorneys can typically only give you a ballpark figure of how much money you’ll have to pay, it is important to know how much they figure the cost will be. Some attorneys will be able to give you an exact figure.
As we stated above, this figure will often be more than the ticket costs, but it is worth it in some cases. This is especially the case if it is a criminal traffic ticket.
4. How Can the Attorney Help You?
You’ll need to consider what type of outcome you want for your traffic ticket.
If you want your traffic ticket completely dismissed, this is something you’ll likely need a lawyer for. It is challenging for the non-specialist to represent themselves in court and successfully fight for the full dismissal of a ticket. Hiring an attorney can increase the odds.
Your lawyer can also help you reduce the penalty that comes with a traffic ticket. They may help you reduce the points you’ll accrue on your record or reduce your fine.
They may also help you negotiate alternate arrangements like completing a diversion program to have the points or penalty taken off your record. A diversion program is often traffic school and/or a fine. You’ll be required to plead guilty and then complete traffic school. In some cases, this may also involve a fine.
Once you do this, any points you would have accrued will be taken off your record so that you won’t have to worry about it affecting having your license being taken away or other complications down the road.
5. Reading Online Reviews
Reading online reviews is helpful when it comes to deciding if a lawyer is right for you. You may wish to scan a few reviews on Google or other lawyer review websites to see what experiences people have had with the lawyer. It goes without saying that mostly positive experiences with a law firm are a good sign.
6. Who Will Appear in Court?
Another thing to consider is whether you’d like the lawyer to go to court without you. Often, you won’t have to attend a hearing, and a lawyer will negotiate with the judge without your presence. You can, however, choose to be there if you wish.
In some cases, attorneys may hire other attorneys to do traffic court for them. You may wish to solidify who will be in court for you on the day and find out how much they will know about your case. You don’t want someone who knows very little about it attempting to negotiate on your behalf.
Hiring the Best Lawyer for Your Case
In 2018, there were a little over 9,000 fatalities in car crashes that involved speeding. As such, a traffic ticket isn’t something to take lightly, and neither are its consequences.
Hiring the best traffic ticket lawyer to help you find the most favorable outcome doesn’t have to be difficult. If you know what you’re doing, you’ll be able to shift through them and find the right lawyer who will ensure your case is taken care of properly.
Need help immediately? Contact one of our lawyers now. We’re available 24/7.
CONTACT TAMPA TRAFFIC TICKET ATTORNEY
RHINO Lawyers can help and guide you through a system molded by law enforcement, judges, and lawyers for decades. Having won cases for our clients in similar circumstances, our criminal defense team knows what it takes to fight on your behalf.
Let RHINO Lawyers answer your questions and review the facts of your case with a Free Consultation. So, get started by completing the “Free Instant Case Evaluation” or by calling us any time, day or night, at 844.329.3491.
