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The 7 Things to Consider When Hiring a Traffic Lawyer in Missouri

Posted by Ruth Beerup | Sep 28, 2021 | 0 Comments

Deciding on a lawyer to protect your rights is never easy, especially if you are new to the process. Breaking it down into a couple of simple steps with clear evaluative criteria can make hiring the right attorney easy. Basically, you should perform some quick online research to narrow your list of candidates and then call the top two or three who stand out to you. Here is what you should be looking for.

Online Research

Nowadays, any lawyer putting forth even the least effort will have a website, and how that site is constructed will tell you quite a bit about how that lawyer conducts their business.  Do a google or bing search for the specific issue at hand such as “speeding ticket lawyer”, “lawyer for no proof of insurance ticket”, “driving while suspended lawyer”, etc. Take a look at the results and go with your instincts. Are you drawn to semi-coherent rambling? A price you know with absolute certainty will not be honored? A straightforward offer to help you with your problem? Whichever ad draws your interest, go to the website and give it a look. There are 4 things in particular that you should be looking for. 

Specialization 

Does the lawyer you are looking at only handle traffic cases? Most traffic lawyers also handle DWI and criminal cases, but if they also do divorce, bankruptcy, wills, personal injury, and a little light yard work they are probably stretched too thin. Traffic law is like any other endeavor; the more you do it the better you get. You need a lawyer who specializes in traffic law. 

Experience

A lawyer doesn't necessarily need decades of experience to master traffic law, but it helps. At a minimum, you should hire a lawyer who has enough years perfecting their craft that they are willing to brag about it. Sure, new lawyers need work too, but let them practice with someone else's case. Don't be overly impressed with time spent as a prosecutor, either. The difference between locking people up and protecting their rights is substantial, and the skill sets are not entirely transferable. 

Website Content

Take a step back and look at the overall tone and content of the website. Is it one huge sales pitch? Is it a vanity project with an eye towards self-aggrandizement? Does it look like it could have been slapped together over a weekend? Does the website provide helpful facts that will allow you to make an informed decision? All of these are clues as to what kind of lawyer you are dealing with, what their motivations are, how they will interact with you, and how they will handle your case. 

Reviews

Client feedback is important, but keep in mind that anyone can put anything they want on their website. If you have a lawyer who specializes in cases like yours, has plenty of experience, and a website that speaks to you, here is how to check their reviews. Go to Google, type in the lawyer or firm name, and look at the information panel on the right side of the screen. Near the top, you should see a star rating and the number of reviews they have. These reviews are curated by Google and should be fairly accurate.

Even the best lawyer can have bad luck with a client or two, so you shouldn't necessarily be looking for a perfect rating (although it doesn't hurt!). A 4+ star rating with at least a dozen or so reviews should be enough. If you are feeling really ambitious you can click on the reviewers to see if they are real. Some companies have managed to game the system, but their fake reviewers are easy to spot if you click on their profile and look at their history. Obviously, if you find a lawyer that does this, steer clear. Don't trust your money with someone who would stoop so low. 

Give Them a Call

Once you have done your preliminary online research, don't hesitate to give the attorney that looks best to you a call. There is no substitute for talking directly with someone. Not only will you get a feel for how the lawyer conducts their business, but you will be able to ask direct questions and get an understanding of how your situation can be resolved. Here are some things to keep in mind: 

Do They Honor Their Price?

This may seem obvious, but if a company advertises an absurdly low price for their services online and then quotes you an absurdly high price when you call them, you probably should not do business with them. Really, no lawyer should be using specific pricing as a draw anyway. There are so many factors involved with how much a lawyer will charge for representation that any advertised price is unlikely to be accurate. If you get pulled in by clickbait, don't encourage the behavior by hiring the person who used it. 

Who Will Represent You? 

Are you speaking to a local attorney who will be handling your case or a national company that is acting as a middleman? It is sometimes hard to tell, but if you are unsure you should ask. All the national company is going to do is look for a local lawyer to handle your case. You will then pay the local lawyer's fee in addition to the middleman fee that the national company is charging. You probably will not even know which attorney is representing you, and you will not be able to evaluate them before they take your case. 

Who Are You Speaking With?

Most attorneys are busy. They will not always be able to answer their phone and might have assistants to screen their calls. For routine matters, this is not a problem, but if you have a complex traffic issue or serious charges you should be able to talk to the attorney who runs the firm. Navigating your way through a DWI or suspended license can be tricky, and you want to have a clean line of communication with your attorney. Make sure you have that from the start. 

Wrapping It Up

Hiring a lawyer can seem like a daunting challenge, especially if you have not done it before. It becomes much easier if you break it down into a few simple steps with clearly defined objectives. The key is to use the information available to find an attorney who is experienced, knowledgeable, professional, and trustworthy. These traits are important whether you have a 10 over speeding ticket or a felony DWI.

 To speak with an attorney who checks all the boxes, give Ruth Beerup a call at 636-940-1111. She has over 25 years of experience exclusively handling traffic/criminal/DWI cases. Her reviews are impeccable and clearly genuine. Most importantly, she is known for getting results and will explain the process for handling your situation clearly and patiently.

About the Author

Ruth Beerup

If you've been accused of committing a crime or violating traffic laws, it is essential that you obtain legal support from a St. Charles attorney you trust. Ruth Beerup is a great advocate to have on your side; a talented attorney with a great track record, she boasts both the knowledge and deter...

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Case evaluations are free and you will always talk directly with Ruth. She can tell you exactly what charges you are facing and give you some options on how to deal with them. So, even if you don’t hire her for your case, you can still get a better understanding of your situation. Call 636-940-1111 now.

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