Should I Hire a Lawyer for a Traffic Violation?
When you think of serious, life-altering crimes, how high do traffic violations rank on your list? Many people think of things like tickets and fees and inconveniences, but otherwise don’t consider traffic violations a big problem. If you’re one of them, you may even think it’s not worth the effort to hire an attorney to fight the charges.
Most people who choose to represent themselves in traffic court put themselves at a disadvantage. Whether they choose to accept the charges or fight them, they overlook other options that can result in the charges being dismissed or lessened. Despite this, they put forward numerous reasons not to hire an attorney.
You may be surprised by the difference a lawyer can make. So before you make your decision, give these points some consideration.
1. You Need Expertise, Not Assumptions
Are you the sort of person that prefers to take the path of least resistance because you think it gets the best results? Perhaps you think fighting a ticket is too expensive. These are only a few of the many assumptions people make when facing traffic violation charges, but there are many more.
But here is the thing to consider: what are these assumptions based on? They’re probably not rooted in reality unless you’re a lawyer yourself. Even basing your conclusions on past experiences in the legal system could be a mistake.
The expertise of a criminal lawyer is an infinitely better guidepost than anything else you may base your decisions on. A good reason to hire a criminal defense attorney is to dispel misconceptions and get a realistic view of your situation. Often you’ll find that better resolutions to your situation are possible with their help.
2. A Lawyer Could Actually Save You Money
Lawyers can indeed be expensive, but their costs depend on multiple factors, including the area of law that they practice. Additionally, more severe offenses carry a higher bill because they require more work to build a defense. But the idea that every lawyer will break the bank is a classic false assumption.
But to see how a lawyer can save you money, let’s look at the facts. In most cases, more goes into a traffic violation’s costs than paying a ticket. For example, your insurance rate will almost certainly go up as a result, and a judge could order you to pay additional fees depending on the circumstances surrounding your traffic violation
When looking at it in both the long term, hiring a lawyer is likely to cost you less money. Additionally, most lawyers work on contingency and can work with flexible payment plans if you can’t afford to pay them all at once. So any way you slice it, hiring a lawyer is the route to go if you want to keep more money in your pocket.
3. Save Time
If you’ve never had to deal with a traffic violation before, you may be surprised at how much time you’ll spend in court. Even if you plead guilty, there are still appearances to be made in court until everything gets finalized. Between travel and the appearances themselves, you could be spending a lot of time away from your responsibilities, like work and family, which could lead to further consequences for you.
It may not sound like much of a hassle, but you never know how many cases a court will have in a day, even for something like traffic violations. It could take hours for your turn at an appearance, only to spend a few minutes making your case. Even if you only make a few appearances, that’s a huge time-sink.
Your attorney can appear in court and act on your behalf without you having to be present. But, of course, they won’t take any action without your consent. This is especially valuable if traveling to a court or missing work would be difficult for you.
4. Negotiation
If the circumstances of the case against you make dismissing it unlikely, there’s still hope. Yes, you may still have to pay a ticket and fines, but the amount you pay could be significantly different from the initial charge. A lawyer can negotiate a lesser penalty by arguing your case on your behalf.
An experienced attorney can highlight and make a case for things like weather conditions as potential factors in your infraction. They may also draw attention to your driving record to argue for a lesser punishment. In addition to these and other factors, they can use details from other cases similar to yours as evidence of previous precedent where it is applicable.
You may think that you can do these things without a lawyer, and you could certainly try, but the truth is that an attorney knows the right way to execute these strategies and readily has the resources to do so. Taking your case into your own hands puts you at a significant disadvantage in the courtroom, and exponentially reduces your chances of a positive outcome.
Schwartz Law is Here for You
A traffic violation may seem like a minor issue to you, but don’t let that attitude trick you into thinking there are no severe consequences. On the contrary, the effects of a conviction can have a long-lasting impact on your life.
You need the expertise of a former prosecutor. You need Cobb County criminal defense attorney Andrew L. Schwartz P.C. on your side.
If you’re seeking criminal defense in the Cobb County or Metro Atlanta area, Andrew Schwartz can help. With a passion for aggressive defenses, the staff at Schwartz Law will always put your best interest first, no matter what charges you face. Contact us today for your free consultation, and let us fight for your future.
