The Difference Between a Good and Bad DUI Lawyer

I’m a DUI lawyer. I think I’m a pretty good one. But I know there are some bad ones out there. The bad ones are the ones that take your money, don’t work on your case, never call you, and tell you that pleading guilty as charged is the best they can do under the circumstances. I don’t think, given the chance, that anyone would choose that type of representation.

But it’s a lot harder to tell the bad from the good than you might think. It’s not like the bad DUI lawyers walk around with a sign around their neck saying “I suck.” Quite the contrary actually. They typically look like most other attorneys. There are, however, a few key signs that might give you pause. Here they are.

First things first, there is something to be said about first impressions. They don’t tell you everything, but they can tell you something about the person you are meeting. For example, me, as a Bellevue DUI lawyer, I always wear suits that fit, shoes that are shined (or have been recently shined) and clothes that fit. But I’ve seen lawyers in court wearing tennis shoes, sport jackets that don’t match their pants, hair unkempt, shirt un-tucked. If you don’t see this as a red flag you almost deserve what you get.

Second, look around for signs that there might be something to be nervous about. Look at their website. Look out on the internet for reviews. What are people saying? Keep in mind that there are people out there that will never be satisfied, no matter what happens, so don’t be dissuaded by a bad review or two. But ten? Maybe. And what do the reviews say? Did they never return calls? Think about some of the things you most care about in a DUI attorney, and make sure your guy has them.

At the end of the day, picking your DUI lawyer is a gut call. Take price out of the equation and ask yourself if you’d hire them. If the answer is no, then you should probably stay away.