You know that you need to hire a traffic attorney to represent you. However, there is more to hiring a lawyer than just picking the first ad that you see. Not all lawyers have the same experience, knowledge, or skill set. They also have different approaches to client representation. Choose the wrong lawyer, and you could end up feeling dissatisfied with their performance. At worst, they could be ineffective, resulting in you having a less favorable outcome to your case.
Look out for these signs that you need a better traffic attorney to ensure you have the best lawyer advocating for you.
1. Lack of Communication
The most common complaint clients have about their attorney is the lack of communication. The lawyer you hire should have the communication style that works for you. If you prefer to talk on the phone, and the attorney prefers email, you will struggle to communicate. If a lawyer doesn’t return calls or emails in a timely manner, that could also be a bad sign. Some lawyers are busy in court all day and will respond to clients in the evening. If you don’t have any communication at all with your attorney or their office, then it may be time to seek out new representation
2. Indecisiveness
From day one, your lawyer should have a strategic plan for your representation. They should be able to communicate your plan options to you and then let you decide. If the lawyer can’t strategically create a plan for you, then this could be a sign you aren’t getting the best representation possible. A lack of decisiveness can lead to you missing out on a possible favorable outcome because you don’t know all of your options.
3. No Show or Canceled Appointments
Remember that you are the client and that you hired the attorney to represent you. While attorneys tend to be quite busy, they should make time for their clients. You need someone who will show up to meetings. If your lawyer is constantly a no-show to meetings, they aren’t fulfilling their duties, and it’s time to find a new lawyer. In some situations, your attorney could get you a Failure to Appear on top of your traffic ticket. The lawyer would be responsible for showing up in court on your behalf. If they fail to appear, you are the one who gets in trouble. You would then need to hire another lawyer to prove that you didn’t willfully not appear.
4. Lack of Successful Track Record
No one will have a perfect track record. However, you want to hire someone who has a strong track record of success. While the lawyer’s past success doesn’t guarantee the outcome of your situation, it can make it more likely that they will effectively represent you.
There are a couple of methods for determining a lawyer’s performance history. One method is to get personal referrals from your friends and family. These are people you trust and can get a personal recommendation.
Another option is to read online reviews. This lets you read about past clients’ experiences. Keep in mind that people are more likely to write a review when they are unhappy versus when they are happy. You should also be wary of lawyers with hundreds of perfect five-star reviews. This is a sign of review manipulation because even the perfect lawyer would still not be able to satisfy everyone.
A third method is to meet with a potential lawyer for a consultation before you hire them. Ask them questions about their background, education, past experience, and cases that are similar to yours. This gives you a better idea of the lawyer’s experience, knowledge, and performance history.
5. Over Promises
No responsible lawyer will ever promise or guarantee an outcome. If your attorney does this, they are in violation of ethics rules. This should concern you, and no matter what they are promising, you should consider changing lawyers. You want an ethical and responsible lawyer who follows the rules of practice.
6. Bad Gut Feeling
Sometimes you just need to trust your gut feeling. If you have a negative or bad feeling about a lawyer, hire someone else. You may not be able to pinpoint the issue, but if you have a gut feeling, it’s a sign that something isn’t right.
