Ticktock. Ticktock.

You just got charged with drunk driving in San Juan Capistrano and have 10 calendar days — not 10 business days — before your California driver’s license is suspended for 3-6 months.

This is the moment having an attorney is critical. At the DMV Per Se Admin hearing right after your arrest, your attorney can take steps to delay your license suspension and challenge the merits of your DUI arrest.

But first, you have to find a top tier San Juan Capistrano DUI lawyer . Here are five qualities to look for:

1. The lawyer is qualified. 

If a lawyer isn’t licensed to practice law in the state of California, then he/she won’t be allowed to represent you in court.   ​

2. The lawyer is local.

• Local lawyers have considerable advantages over out-of-state lawyers by virtue of their familiarity with the local legal system — the San Juan Capistrano courts, judges, and prosecutors. If the judge knows and respects your lawyer, you may have a better chance of winning your case.

3. The lawyer has a clean record.

• Check whether the attorney is in good standing with the State Bar of California . Doing so ensures you don’t hire a lawyer who has been disbarred or who has history of malpractice.

4. The lawyer has handled many DUI cases.

• Experience is a key factor in hiring a top San Juan Capistrano DUI lawyer — behind-the-scenes knowledge of the              process of DUI defense, plea-bargaining experience, and deep knowledge of DUI law. Also, look into the lawyers case record, or win-loss record.
• According to United States Courts, more than 90 percent of defendants plead guilty and receive plea bargains. If you        are innocent, you need the best possible lawyer to push the case to trial and win it.

5. The lawyer is highly recommended.

• It’s never a bad idea to ask your local family and friends for recommendations. And if they happen to be short on              ideas, you can always check local social media pages. The more assurance you can gather about a DUI lawyer, the            better you will feel.

Orange County’s Top-Rated DUI Attorneys

Two DUI defense attorneys of the So Cal Law Network, Peter F. Iocona and Alan Castillo, were recognized in OC Metro Magazine as Orange County’s Top-Rated Attorneys in DUI defense by AVVO. They earned their reputations by taking DUI cases to trial and winning.

Your case is important. Please give the Orange County DUI Attorneys of The SoCal Law Network a call for a free DUI Consultation and Case Evaluation.