When you are faced with a DUI charge, you may be thinking that the last thing you can afford on top of the court fees, traffic tickets and any fees associated with getting your car out of impound, is a lawyer. If this was your first offense, you aren’t facing any additional charges and no one was injured, they you may be able to get away without legal representation. In most cases, and especially those where it’s not the first offense or when added charges like reckless driving or endangerment of a minor are involved, having a DUI lawyer in Pierce County is a key strategy when it comes getting the best results for your case.
When you work with a DUI lawyer that specializes in cases like yours, they can offer guidance on whether or not you should plead guilty (which often makes sense in the most minor cases,) and can represent you during any plea bargaining agreements. The process of sentence bargaining can be critical to your future – in some cases you may be able to reduce your sentence by a matter of months or even years, depending on the situation, when you provide a plea for a lesser crime or plead extenuating circumstances.
If this is not your first offense, then you should seriously considering working with a DUI lawyer if you are facing charges, as it’s much better to find out that you need help early on in the process versus finding out down the road that you really should have utilized their services. Even if your case seems cut and dry, there are always things that can come up to change that.
If you still aren’t sure you need an attorney, pick up the phone and call one! Most lawyers offer a short consultation free of charge, which offers a great opportunity to find out how and if they could assist you. You may think that it’s not worth the added cost, but working with a DUI lawyer can help you keep your driving rights and can help in reducing jail time. When it comes to your quality of life and your future, it could pay to contact a DUI lawyer.