If you have been charged with a DUI, then you probably know that you should seek legal representation. After all, you might not have much or any legal experience, and you probably want to make sure that your case is handled as it should be.
Now, your next decision might be whether you want to ask for a court-appointed attorney or if you want to hire one yourself. You will probably want to go with the latter option; if you're wondering why, consider the reasons listed below.
You Might Not Qualify for a Court-Appointed Attorney
A court-appointed attorney must be hired on your behalf if you are unable to afford a lawyer of your own. However, you may need to prove that you aren't able to afford to pay for the services of an attorney on your own. This means that you might have to turn in financial documents to the court before you get approved for a court-appointed lawyer. If your income falls above a certain threshold, you might be turned down. Additionally, if you don't turn in the financial paperwork that they ask you for, you might be turned down. You don't have to worry about these types of problems if you hire your own attorney, however.
You'll Probably Want to Pick the Best Attorney That You Can
A DUI can impact your future in a number of ways. You might lose your driving privilege, and you might struggle with passing criminal background checks in the future. There might be other impacts on your life, too. You probably want to fight your DUI as well as possible, and you will need a good attorney in order to do this. If you hire a DUI attorney on your own, you can help ensure that you hire the right one for the job.
Costs Might Not Be as High as You Think
Lastly, you might be nervous about how much it will cost to hire your own attorney. However, it might not cost as much as you think. Schedule a consultation with an attorney to find out more about how much it will cost; you might just find that it will be pretty affordable.
Although it is typically better to hire a court-appointed lawyer than to handle your DUI without any legal representation at all, there's a good chance that asking for a court-appointed lawyer is not your best bet. Instead, you will probably want to look for a DUI attorney in your area. Then, you should be able to count on that attorney to help you as much as possible with your case.
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