In some ways trying to find a good Atlanta DUI attorney is kind of like trying to find a good car mechanic or plumber. When you need one you really need one, the work they do is completely unknown to you, and it’s hard to tell the good ones from the bad ones. And the hardest part about hiring a DUI lawyer is that you typically only get one shot. With a car mechanic or a plumber, or even a dentist or a doctor, if they don’t do a good job or you don’t like them, you go get someone else. With a DUI though, choosing the wrong person can result in consequences that can follow you forever.
So, what can you do to find the right one? One of the things you can do is look for a DUI attorney that has the kind of qualities that demonstrate they are going to be able to handle your case and give you the effort you deserve. And today, we’re going to talk about three of those things.
1. The Staff Seems Engaged and Ready to Help
Nearly every Atlanta DUI lawyer will have you come in to speak with them in person. This is a big decision and they understand you’ll want to check them out. But you’ll also want to check out the staff – they can tell you a lot about what the true overall mission of the firm is.
When you get to the firm, how does the staff greet you? Are the friendly? Are they smiling? Ask them a question and see how they respond. Are they genuinely ready to help you out? These are the things you should be looking for to get an idea of how the firm operates on a daily basis.
One other thing you might want to do is get there a little bit early. Take the opportunity to see how everyone interacts with the clients that have already signed up. Does anyone ever get through to an attorney? How does the staff act when they get off the phone? Are they friendly once you’ve signed up?
Staff typically act in the manner that is passed down from management. If the staff acts untoward, that should raise a red flag that this DUI attorney might do the same thing.
2. You Feel Comfortable Around Them
Not only are you trusting your Atlanta DUI lawyer to help you out of trouble, you are paying them a lot of money for the help. The last thing you want to do is sign up with someone that you don’t feel comfortable with. Do I mean you should want to go and have dinner with them? No. What I’m saying is you have a generally good feeling that they are legit and are going to do what they say. Some people seem shady because they are. If you don’t have good feeling about the person you should trust that feeling and look for someone else for help.
3. They Have Great Reviews
Before I get too far with this one, I understand that reviews can be faked. But, no one fakes bad reviews. The Atlanta DUI attorneys I know ask for reviews and are excited to get them from clients. They ask for these reviews because they help people to make decisions on whom to hire.
When you look at the reviews I would suggest that you read the good ones to see what they say – most if not all of them are probably real. But what you should really be looking out for are a bunch of bad reviews. One or two shouldn’t be a red flag – I have heard stories of competing DUI attorneys leaving bad reviews on their competitors. But a whole string of bad reviews with specific details should raise a red flag. As you might expect, the good lawyers have good reviews.
If you find these three qualities in your DUI attorney I can’t guarantee you you’ll beat your DUI – no one can do that. But I can guarantee you that throughout the process you’ll feel like you’ve got someone on your side, someone doing everything they can to help reduce your punishment and help you keep your life on the right track. This is an important decision, and you should think long and hard about who you pick before you pull the trigger.