Any DUI is a serious offense. Every State is unique in how it handles DUIs. If you have been charged with a DUI of any kind be sure you hire an experienced DUI Attorney that understands the laws and court processes in your state. For example, if you were charged with a DUI in the state of Illinois, but you live in Arizona, you would need to hire a Criminal or DUI attorney who practices in the state of Illinois, not Arizona (unless they have a license to practice in Illinois).
You should know there are many attorneys who practice minimally in many areas of law. You sometimes hear them called “General Practice Attorneys” or “Family Attorneys”. The fact is that DUI laws and penalties are constantly changing. You should strongly consider hiring an experienced DUI attorney who handles DUIs on a regular basis. This would be an Attorney who practices in Criminal Defense or DUI Defense law. Particularly, the state of Arizona has some of the toughest DUI laws and penalties in the USA.
The Arizona DUI Laws concerning Arizona drunk driving have changed dramatically over the years. A person arrested today in an Arizona DUI for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (DUI – DWI) is facing punishment that may include a fine, loss of drivers’ license, counseling, and jail… punishment can be more severe if you are charged with a Arizona felony DUI case. There area many aspects of the case that will and can effect the outcome. All the evidence must be examined, including reason for the stop, method of testing, test results, officers credentials training, and experience in operating the testing equipment, events that take place during the stop, how much over the legal limit or extreme limit the results were found to be, blood test procedural handling that took place after the fact, determining if your rights were violated in anyway during the stop, and much more. Just because the Police Officer arrests you and you are charged with a DUI at that time and place does not mean you have to stand in line and accept the maximum penalties and fines which may be severe and devastating to you, your family, your driver’s license, your job, your future, and your freedom.
In many cases the DUI charges can be dismissed completely. Or in the alternative reduced from felonies to misdemeanors, or reduced to routine traffic violations as a result of challenging some of the issues and factors listed above. Plea Bargains can be negotiated with a much more favorable outcome that what the prosecution originally asked for, or what a jury trial may have decided.
In the state of Arizona, only about 2% to 3% of cases ever go to trial. Be cautious of Criminal or DUI Attorneys who charge you “globally” for legal services that they claim includes a trial fee. Those fees will typically be higher. And if you do not have a trial, they keep the money. Knowing the statistics are only at 2% to 3% average, the odds are 97% to 98% in your favor that there will be no trial.
By: James Novak
Variety may not be the spice of the legal profession – but, yes, there are a few different types of a Michigan child custody lawyer. Here is how the family lawyer fraternity can be categorized into different types:
A. Based on the firm’s size
Sole proprietorship: About 50% of family lawyers run a sole proprietorship – in other words, they work for themselves. They have to do the entire running around, and if they take on more work than they can chew, then they come under pressure. However, in pressure situations, these solo lawyers (many of whom are considered very good family attorneys) then hire other lawyers to get the pressure off.
Small-sized firms: A small lawyers’ firm, also fashionably called a boutique, is typically made up of 2-10 lawyers. The quality of these firms depends on the caliber and experience of the lawyers running the show.
Medium-sized firms: Firms staffed with 20-50 lawyers make up a medium-sized firm. A few lawyers own the firm while the others form part of the staff. Most of the legwork and the initial preparation of cases are handled by the younger staff, while the seniors step in for the hearings or at critical moments.
Large firms: Any Michigan child custody lawyer firm that has over 50 lawyers is considered a large firm and any firm with over a 100 lawyers is termed as a mega firm. These large and mega firms feature many departments that specialize in different legal aspects. One big plus of these large firms is that they provide all the services under one roof as they are staffed with lawyers specializing in every branch of the law.
Law clinics: These clinics are specialty law firms that handle small-time, simple legal work. If your work is simple and requires minimum lawyer intervention then you must approach a law clinic. Law clinics keep their costs down by appointing paralegal assistants and using pre-printed standard forms. The minus with law clinics is that they cannot offer expert, in-depth advice.
B. Based on specialization
The law is vast and possesses enormous depth. No one lawyer can specialize in all of the myriad legal topics. In theory it is said that general Michigan child custody lawyer law firms can handle all cases – but practically speaking, a lawyer has to focus on a specific area. Some legal specialty areas are:
o Family matters, including divorce, and child custody and support.
o Wills and probates.
o Real estate, which includes acquiring or selling of real estate and construction
o Crime.
o Workers and trade union laws.
o Company law – mergers, dissolution, formation and taxation.
o Intellectual property law – patents, trademarks and copyright laws.
Certified specialists
There are some states in America where lawyers train in certain areas. These lawyers study further after their bar exams and pass additional exams – such lawyers call themselves certified specialists. When it comes to family law, certified specialists must continue their studies perpetually so that they are aware of the latest on child support, divorce, child custody, splitting of property, alimony and other family matters. The standards for their certification are high as they are set by the state bar council.
So make sure you know which Michigan child custody lawyer can help you win your case. Since there are many types you want to research and learn as much as you can about how to win so you can make all the best decisions regarding child custody law and your attorney.
By: Brent Delaurentis
