If you were charged with DUI in Colorado, choosing to retain a DUI attorney is a good start, but it doesn’t do much good to hire an attorney who does not understand DUI defense, the nuances of Colorado’s criminal and DUI law, and the forensic science involved in drunk driving tests. DUI attorney reviews is one source of information available to you in making your decisions.
In Denver, hundreds of law firms and defense lawyers advertise DUI defense. With so many choices, how do you determine which firm or attorney is the best fit for you and your case? How do you certify that you are capitalizing in a firm that can make a positive difference in your DUI case? After all, a conviction can be expensive, especially in Denver, so the cost of ineffective representation is not something you can afford as well.
Attorney reviews can be one helpful way to do some research into whether a DUI attorney will be a good fit. When looking at former client review, consider the following tips.
- Do the attorney reviews seem legitimate? Unfortunately some attorneys are not as honest as others, and may be up to posting fake positive lawyer reviews for themselves or have their friends and family post reviews. There have even been cases where attorneys have been caught soliciting fake poor reviews for their competitors.
- Is the review on a legitimate site, like Google reviews or Avvo, or do the reviews come directly from the lawyer’s website? The source of the review can often assist in assessing its credibility.
- Are there consistency in the reviews? For example, don’t be concerned with one or two bad lawyer reviews—after all some people just present with poor cases and unrealistic expectations. In addition, it is more likely for someone to take initiative and write a scathing review for someone than to take a moment out of their day to write a positive review.
- Are there reviews over a period of time, or were they all posted at the same time? Blocks of reviews could mean that the law firm is giving out incentives to post reviews, or perhaps billing discounts.
Some other questions that may guide you in determining who is the right fit for your DUI case are as follows:
What percentage of your practice is DUI defense?
Many law firms and attorneys handle different areas of law—DUI defense and criminal defense, along with personal injury, family law, etc. In addition, some criminal defense attorneys practice in a broad range of cases, from white-collar crimes and domestic assaults to theft cases and DUI. Are you are looking for a jack-of-all-trades or a specialist? Many attorneys can achieve a good outcome in your case, but if you needed heart surgery, would you want a specialist or a general surgeon holding the scalpel?
What is the attorney’s legal reputation?
If you are not part of the legal community, how would you find out about a lawyer’s reputation in the courts? After all, you do not want to hire an attorney and later find out that he or she is not held in high regard by judges, prosecutors, or fellow attorneys in the locale where your case is pending. Taking the time to do independent research into the attorney’s reputation and experience will ensure that you make a well-researched and informed decision moving forward.
You can check an attorney’s disciplinary history at The Colorado Supreme Court—Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. OARC’s public disciplinary history may be searched here. While a history with the Attorney Regulation Counsel does not mean that an attorney is incompetent, it may cause you to ask further questions before proceeding. A quick check at OARC’s website could give you the most telling DUI attorney reviews of them all.