DWI Attorney: Know Whether You Need One

If you have been accused of driving while intoxicated, you may need a lawyer to help you out. Of course, some cases go smoothly enough to avoid paying for legal help, but not everyone is that lucky. Consider a few ways to tell whether you should hire a DWI attorney to assist you in keeping your punishment minimal. 

If this is your first time getting in trouble for driving while intoxicated, you need to make sure you understand all the laws in your state since they vary by area quite a bit. You also need to understand the consequences that you face. If you decide to go it alone, you may find that you will have to pay various fees, attend an alcohol treatment class, and deal with a suspended license for at least a few months. You may also get time in jail, though first time offenses do not usually face this consequence. If, however, you suspect that you will in fact be sentenced to jail, you should contact a DWI attorney. Also, if you work in a profession where having this type of offense on your record could bar you from most positions, you should get a lawyer to attempt to reduce the charge. 

Second offenses are always punished more than the first one, so if this is not your first offense of this kind, then you will likely need a lawyer for the best results. This is the case whether you have been arrested for this crime in the same state or a different one, as some states consider it your second offense even if the first one was in a different area. You will likely face jail time and even higher fines than usual, as well as license suspension for several months or even years. Thus, you need a lawyer to help reduce the punishment where possible. In some cases, you cannot reduce the penalties, but you should get an idea of whether you can at the initial consultation with a DWI attorney.

If you have more than two DWIs, you should definitely hire legal help since you face harsh penalties. In fact, many states consider the third or forth offense a felony. The result is incarceration for months or even years, and your license can be suspended for up to a decade. In fact, you may never get it back. If you want the best chances of reducing the consequences, you need legal help. Additionally, if the DWI was given after an accident in which someone was hurt or killed, or you were more than double the legal limit for blood alcohol level, it is time to get a DWI attorney. 

The right lawyer can persuade the court to reduce the offense to a lesser charge, or at least get less severe penalties. Some attorneys can get the case thrown out completely if the police officers made a mistake during the arrest. While having legal assistance is no guarantee against punishment, the best outcomes are usually the result of having an attorney.