How to Choose the Right DUI Attorney

DUI (Driving under the influence) cases are on the rise in Pennsylvania. According to the state police, over 22,000 arrests were made in 2019 for DUI, a 10% increase from DUI arrests in 2018. This makes it important to utilize the expertise of a DUI attorney in Allentown.

Getting arrested for DUI is quite a stressful event for anyone. Many people arrested for a DUI have never been in trouble before. You should face the situation head-on and stay as prepared and informed as possible. 

Working with an experienced DUI attorney in Allentown, PA can help you. A DUI attorney can guide you through a complicated case, search for possible defenses, advise you on which defenses are viable, and help reduce the sentence in various ways. However, not all DUI attorneys are the same. 

So how do you choose the right DUI attorney?

Try this guide to help you pick the right DUI Attorney.

• Get a List of Candidates

To find the right DUI attorney in Allentown, you need to organize a list of lawyers active in your area. The lawyer should have an office in the area where the case is located. If he or she doesn’t, then that attorney is almost always not the right candidate. Check that out carefully. Many attorneys will advertise that they “practice” in that area, but then when you are going to their office, you find it’s somewhere else. 

In addition, you need to search for a lawyer who does only criminal defense. There is no such thing as a “DUI lawyer.” A lawyer who handles a lot of DUI cases is only successful if he has a lot of general criminal defense experience with many trials under his or her belt. 

Next, you can ask your friends or family for a reference. You can search 2 websites online—Avvo and Martindale-Hubbell. If you simply google criminal defense attorneys in a zip code or town or county, that should bring up the ones you need as well. 

For example, searching criminal defense attorneys or “attorney DUI” in Allentown or Lehigh County would bring up my name, Kathryn Roberts. The 2 websites mentioned above will also provide reviews, and of course, google provides reviews as well. 

• Set up phone conferences or meetings in person with some candidates

Be very wary of attorneys that provide 800 numbers. Generally, this means you are calling a large firm located somewhere else that spends a lot of time marketing everywhere. They will not be providing you with a local attorney who knows the system, police, District Attorney, probation officers, and judges. This means that the person will be blind when guiding you. Not a good idea. Even if they tell you that the lawyer that will be assigned to you will be local, this will not be the case. 

Always make sure to hire an experienced attorney as there are many defenses in a DUI case, so choosing to hire an experienced and skilled attorney that is well-versed with these defenses will be an advantage.

Personally, I am not affiliated with any large marketing firms to receive referrals, nor do my experienced colleagues participate in such arrangements. I do have attorney colleagues in Lehigh County and Northampton County who practice other kinds of law (personal injury, family law, business law) and they refer clients to me all the time. This is normal and expected. 

When you contact candidates, do NOT simply hire the first person who answers the phone or calls you back. The most desired lawyers are busy and are desirable for a reason—because they do a good job for their clients. 

The lawyers sitting by their phones hoping for clients are the ones you will reach first and they will generally pressure you into making a swift decision without checking around or thinking it through. I generally try to call people back within 1 day of when they have called for a consultation. 

You should NEVER hire a lawyer or firm without having spoken to the actual person who will be representing you. This means that if you contact a lawyer and reach a secretary or paralegal who is screening you, you should always speak to the actual attorney before you decide to move forward in hiring. 

If they don’t connect you with the attorney at some point, do NOT hire that person. Otherwise, it gives the firm the power to send to court on your behalf any person they wish, rather than the person that YOU chose. This will lead to immediate resentment and regret by you.

As you converse with lawyers, trust your gut. If the lawyer gives you a bad vibe, move on. Lawyers are generally skilled communicators. If the lawyer is not able or willing to communicate fully to you about his or her intentions in the case, this is a big red flag.

• Be Very Wary of Promised Outcomes.

As you shop for an attorney, realize that no attorney should be assuring you of the outcome before the case has even started. Lawyers located in the local area of the case should be able to give some accurate predictions, but cases often weave up, down, and sideways, and unexpected things happen all the time. 

I generally conduct free consultations in DUI cases by phone. This is because I get a large number of calls inquiring about rates and seeking my legal advice, particularly for Lehigh and Northampton County. Most people have told me that they felt comfortable moving forward after speaking on the phone and having spoken to other attorneys. You can also read why should you hire me for a DUI case.

I do NOT pressure people to make immediate payment or intimidate people with scary outcomes like long jail sentences or long license suspensions. These are real topics that do need to be discussed as part of an overall DUI case but scare tactics are sleazy. 

Be aware that if you are charged with a DUI in Lehigh or Northampton County, you will likely be inundated with letters from lawyers marketing themselves to you. These letters will be filled with scary information, suggesting that you could face a long jail sentence and other consequences. 

I do not send out these kinds of letters searching for clients. People generally hire me in DUI cases based upon reading my reviews or referrals from others that I’ve represented.   

IF YOU NEED AN EXPERIENCED DUI ATTORNEY IN LEHIGH COUNTY OR NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, CONTACT KATHRYN ROBERTS NOW.  

Read my reviews, talk to others in the community, read my website, and then call me if you want to understand the options in a DUI case. People generally find that I’m very accessible and responsive, even on weekends and evenings.  Let’s discuss your case!