why hire an attorney for a speeding ticket

Full Answer

1. They Know What to Look for

Ever heard of someone getting a speeding ticket and walking away without losing a dime? These are the type of people who hire a lawyer to fight their traffic ticket. Lawyers know how to get out of a ticket by finding errors that an average person can’t.

2. They Know How to Negotiate

Let’s say the police officer was careful enough while writing you a ticket, and there are no errors to be found. Even in this case, a lawyer can negotiate on your behalf in court and reduce your ticket. Lawyers can demand concessions based on your good driving history, or they might find another convincing reason to get your ticket reduced.

3. They Know Your Rights

As a citizen, you might not know your rights and privileges when it comes to traffic law, but a lawyer does. Having someone on your side who understands the law entirely will significantly improve your odds of getting your ticket dismissed or reduced.

5. When the big brother shows up, bullies calm down

People who decide to represent themselves in court often succumb to prosecutors. Part of the reason is they don’t know how to fight and end up getting harsh penalties. On the contrary, when a lawyer represents you, prosecutors know that they don’t stand a chance against you.

Final Thoughts

Hiring a lawyer indicates that you are more invested in your case than the violators appearing before or after you. Lawyers have a professional rapport with the judge which works inadvertently to your advantage, so if you find yourself with a traffic ticket, hiring a lawyer is always a good idea.

The Point System

Dealing with a speeding ticket without an attorney can result in points on your license. In Virginia, drivers who speed over 10 to 19 mph over the posted speed limit can face a four-point penalty, and for speeding violations of 19 mph or more over the posted speed limit, you can face up to a six point penalty.

Rising Car Insurance Rates

When your insurance company catches wind of the speeding ticket or reckless driving ticket, expect your rates to go up.

Save Money

Many people don’t hire traffic lawyers because they think they’re expensive. However, hiring an attorney for traffic matters is cheaper than many people think. By hiring legal counsel, you’ll save money in two key areas:

Less Hassle

If you want to fight a ticket on your own, the process can be cumbersome if you handle it independently. Traffic court can take hours. Moreover, you must take time off from work and rearrange your schedule to attend court.

Know Your Rights

The General District Court, where traffic matters are heard in Virginia may seem minor and easy to navigate on your own. However, if you don’t know your rights, officers or prosecutors can take advantage of your inexperience with the law.

A Good Lawyer Knows the Local Courts

An attorney can tell you what you’re up against. The attorney will also know what arguments work best with which judges, and how to present the best defense strategy. In addition, showing a judge that you’ve devoted time and resources into hiring an attorney demonstrates that you take the charge against you seriously.

Fighting Back with a Speeding Ticket Attorney

A reckless driving or speeding ticket attorney can work to keep a traffic violation off your public record. If this blemish stays on your record, you could lose license points and pay higher insurance rates.

How much does speeding ticket increase insurance premiums?

Speeding tickets have been shown to increase automobile insurance premiums by around 23.2%. If you’re paying the average price for insurance, you could lose another $341 in insurance premiums this year. But that’s not the end of it. Insurance investigators can typically see up to four years of your driving record.

Why is it important to get a lawyer?

That’s because, with a good lawyer, you will have a much better chance of beating the traffic charges. Getting a lawyer is important. But even more important is getting a good lawyer. Knowing what to look for in a lawyer can make or break your case. Here are a few questions you should ask when looking for a lawyer.

How many points do you get for speeding in New York?

Almost every state in the country uses some kind of point system. In New York, for example, that point system lists speeding tickets at between 3 and 11 points. Get 12 points on your license within 18 months and you’re looking at a suspension. Beat your ticket, however, and you’re looking at a point-free license.

Why do lawyers charge fixed fees?

Prices vary between law firms, but most only cost a fraction of the ticket value. Some lawyers use fixed prices to help ensure that everybody is treated fairly. Others offer prices based on the difficulty of the case and how likely they are to win.

How do lawyers win a case?

Lawyers Often Have Relationships With Judges or Prosecutors. One of the best ways to win a case is to be friends with the judge and the prosecutor. Unless you’ve spent a lot of time in the courthouse, odds are you won’t have that kind of relationship with them.

Do traffic lawyers know the law?

We’ve probably all seen one of those videos where people sit in their car and shout through the window at the officer, “Am I being detained? Am I being detained? Am I being detained?” Unlike those people, traffic lawyers actually do know the law.

Do prosecutors like to represent themselves?

Hire a lawyer and that added muscle just might be what you need to convince the prosecutor to offer you a plea deal—or better. Prosecutors tend not to want to go up against other legal experts, as that tends to be much more difficult than going up against lawyerless individuals.

How many points are on your record for a traffic violation in California?

Depending on the severity of the infraction, you may have your driver’s license suspended or revoked. In California, 0 to 3 points are assessed on your driving record for each violation.

What to do when a traffic violation is pending?

An attorney who has experience in the court where your case is pending can work to successfully negotiate with the judge and prosecutor in order to reduce your traffic violation fine. With crowded courts, most jurisdictions prefer settlement to a time-consuming trial. 7

How to contact Wallin and Klarich?

There is an experienced Wallin & Klarich traffic ticket attorney available to help you no matter where you work or live. Call us at (877) 4-NO-JAIL or (877) 466-5245 for a free telephone consultation. We will be there when you call. 1. [http://www.bankrate.com/finance/auto/can-a-lawyer-beat-your-traffic-ticket–2.aspx] ↩.

What happens if a traffic ticket officer doesn't respond?

If the officer does not respond by the deadline, your case could be dropped. 3. 2. An Attorney Can Represent You in Court. Appearing in court can be inconvenient and disruptive to your schedule. However, your traffic ticket attorney is able to go to your hearing without you having to attend.

Can you get a conviction for a traffic ticket without disputing the charges?

If you pay a traffic ticket fine without disputing the charges, you immediately accept a guilty plea and will receive a recorded conviction. However, many people do not know that you may be able to keep the conviction off your record even if you admit guilt, depending on your driving record.

Can a traffic ticket be dismissed?

There are a number of legal technicalities that an experienced attorney can use that may result in your citation being dismissed. Hiring an experienced attorney with expertise in handling traffic tickets and greater knowledge of the law will greatly increase your chances that your ticket will be dismissed. For example, an attorney can request a trial by declaration to the officer who issued your ticket. If the officer does not respond by the deadline, your case could be dropped. 3

Is it expensive to pay a traffic ticket?

Receiving a traffic ticket is an expensive and annoying ordeal. That is why most people (approximately 9 out of 10) choose to simply pay ticket fines and get them over with rather than contesting them. 1 However, what you may not know is that paying a traffic ticket can be more costly than fighting it. Due to an increase in auto insurance premiums ...

What is a traffic ticket lawyer?

In particular, a traffic ticket attorney specializes in laws related to driving; such lawyers defend traffic court cases varying from routine moving violations (such as running a traffic light) to more serious situations (such as driving under the influence ). Regardless of the violation circumstances, a seasoned lawyer works to reduce your traffic ...

What can a seasoned lawyer do to reduce traffic ticket penalties?

Regardless of the violation circumstances, a seasoned lawyer works to reduce your traffic ticket penalties, negotiate alternative penalties, and/or dismiss the ticket altogether.

What does it mean to reduce a ticket?

Generally, reducing ticket penalties means getting the judge to reduce or dismiss your fines and/or driver's license points .

What does an attorney do?

Attorneys specialize in particular areas of the law— meaning they are well-versed in legal language and can use that knowledge and experience to identify flaws in the case brought against you (or at least lessen your penalties ).

What is a public defender?

Public defenders, or court-appointed attorneys, are lawyers who help people who can't afford private legal defense.

Do traffic lawyers waive fees?

However, some traffic lawyers waive their fees in the event they're unable to successfully fight your case; of course, you must be clear on what the lawyer considers “successful." For example, your attorney might waive your fee if he is unable to get your ticket dismissed; on the other hand, your lawyer might require you pay his fee if he's able to lessen the penalties in any way.

Can a traffic ticket lawyer help with a speeding ticket?

From a speeding violation to forgetting to use your turn signal, even the most routine traffic stop can add up quickly; thus, sometimes, hiring a traffic ticket lawyer can make a difference—especially regarding reduced fines, keeping points off your driver's license, and avoiding increased insurance rates .