Services of an Illinois DUI Lawyer

After you are released on bail, you will have an initial court date scheduled, called an arraignment. At the arraignment, you will be asked to plead guilty or not guilty. If you plead not guilty, a date will be set for your trial. You need to have an attorney to advise you and represent your interests, even before the arraignment. In some parts of Illinois, videos and other crucial evidence about your arrest may be destroyed as early as the 30th day after your arrest, unless you or your lawyer request otherwise. Your attorney also needs as much time as possible to prepare a defense for you, which may include determining if there was actually probable cause to arrest you as well as questioning the reliability of the prosecution's evidence. Additionally, your license will be automatically suspended on the 45th day after your DUI arrest unless you take action and request a hearing. Your Illinois DUI lawyer can speak for you at the hearing and try to protect your driving privileges.

Also, at the arraignment, you may be offered a plea by the prosecutor. Your Illinois DUI attorney can evaluate this offer and make sure that it is right for you before you accept it. If the case goes to trial, your lawyer will fight for your interests every step of the way. Even before the trial, your lawyer will work for you by making sure he or she knows ahead of time what evidence the prosecution has against you. If proper procedures were not followed in collecting that evidence, your Illinois DUI attorney will work to suppress it. Even if you are convicted of DUI, your Illinois attorney will work to keep the sentence as manageable as possible.

Costs of a Lawyer

The costs of an Illinois DUI lawyer can vary tremendously, depending on where you are located and how much the lawyer typically charges per hour. Consultations are usually free, so it's not a bad idea to call around and get some estimates. The most important thing is to get a good Illinois DUI lawyer with a lot of experience handling DUI cases. After all, according to the Illinois Secretary of State, the average total cost of a DUI conviction is $14,660! If your lawyer can get your DUI charged reduced or dismissed, he'll have paid for himself! The cost of obtaining an Illinois DUI lawyer is nothing compared to the cost of a DUI conviction.

Risks of not having a lawyer

In Illinois, DUI is a serious crime. This is, after all, much more than a traffic ticket. Your personal freedom is at stake, as well as your freedom to drive, which is all-important in today's car-oriented society. Without a lawyer, you risk a greatly increased likelihood of conviction than you would if you had a lawyer to fight for you. Also, you risk being assigned much harsher penalties. If you don't have an Illinois DUI lawyer representing you, who do you think will be on your side in the courtroom? The answer is sobering: nobody. If you've been charged with DUI, please don't write yourself off. You owe it to yourself and your family to hire a professional who can look after your best interests.
Benefits of having a lawyer

Illinois DUI lawyers are trained professionals who understand how the Illinois Court system works. You may have more options than you think. Your Illinois DUI lawyer will be able to review the case against you and determine what those options are. Even if you are convicted or decide not to fight the charges, on a first offense, an Illinois DUI attorney may be able to help you get court supervision or a reduced charge, either of which will help keep a conviction from appearing on your driving record. An Illinois DUI attorney can also help walk you the process for getting restricted license while your regular license is suspended, if the option is available to you.