No one wants to look in the rear view mirror and see flashing lights right behind them while driving down the roadway. Best case scenario you might get away with a delay in your travels and a warning ticket. But if you had a couple of drinks before heading out on the roadway, those flashing lights may mean a night in jail and criminal charges for driving under the influence (DUI) being filed against you. Unless you have been a defendant in a DUI prosecution before, you may not know what to do if you find yourself in this position. The first, and most important, step is to retain the services of an experienced Nebraska DUI attorney. Of course, having never had to do that before, you may not know where to start in your search for the right attorney. Ultimately, only you can decide who to hire as your attorney. However, following these steps can help:
- Ask for referrals. When you need a doctor, a carpenter, or a real estate agent, one of the first things you likely do is to ask friends, co-workers, and family members if they have used one they feel comfortable recommending. However, when people need a criminal defense attorney they often don’t ask for referrals because they are embarrassed to be facing criminal charges. This is a huge mistake. If you put aside your humiliation and ask friends, family, and even co-workers for a referral you will likely be surprised at how many of them have needed a DUI defense attorney, or have a loved one who needed one at one point in time. The value of a personal referral should outweigh your embarrassment given what is at stake and the reality that there is no better source of information than someone who has personally used an attorney’s services in the past.
- Contact bar associations. Local and state bar associations often have a lawyer referral service which is helpful when looking for the right attorney. Not only will they have an extensive list of licensed attorneys at their disposal, but they also often give you the ability to search for an attorney using a variety of criteria such as practice areas, languages spoken, and even geographic location. In Omaha, start with the Omaha Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service which maintains its own website. The Nebraska Bar Association also has a lawyer referral service that has a criminal law section on its website.
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Search the internet. Choosing an attorney based solely on the attorney’s website is never a good idea. However, you can obtain a wealth of information by searching the internet for a DUI defense attorney for your case. You will likely find an attorney’s biography, the areas of the law the attorney practices, and how long the lawyer has been in practice.
- Schedule consultations. At this point you should have narrowed down your list to the top two or three options. It is now time to schedule consultations. Most attorneys offer brief no-cost or low cost initial consultations so you should not have to expend much, if any, money at this point. Be sure to write out questions for the attorney ahead of time so you don’t forget anything important and so that you don’t waste the limited time you likely have during the consultations.
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Review your options. It’s decision time. You should have plenty of background information at this point and the benefit of an in-person consultation with the top contenders. Spend some time on your decision, but don’t ignore your gut feeling either. In addition, be sure to consider the attorney’s staff as well because you will most likely be interacting with them a great deal.
Contact Us
If you are currently facing DUI charges in the State of Nebraska, it is certainly in your best interest to consult with an experienced Nebraska DUI defense attorney right away. In Nebraska contact Petersen Criminal Defense Law 24 hours a day at 402-509-8070 to discuss your case.
Attorney Petersen was invited to join the National Advocacy for DUI Defense (NAFDD) organization in 2013. NAFDD vets thousands of lawyers and only chooses those who have achieved stellar results in DUI defense cases. Attorney Petersen was named one of the Top 50 defense attorneys in Nebraska out of more than 5,000.
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