Law offices of Mickey G. Roberts, P.C.

Summer 2003

By far the best way to find a lawyer is through a personal referral; 99% of my cases come from referrals.
By far the worst way is through the direct letter route; I am astonished at the number of lawyers who solicit business through direct mail nowadays; at last count more than 20 lawyers in metro Atlanta are using direct mail. DUIs are public record, and these attorneys are entitled to solicit business this way; I don't know about you, but I would not hire a carpet cleaner this way, much less someone who has the responsibility of defending me in a court of law, where my driver's license, liberty, and perhaps job are at stake.

Once you have contacted a lawyer, how do you know if the lawyer is competent to handle a DUI case? What are some of the questions you should ask?

1. "Are at least 90% of your cases DUIs?" The days of the general practice lawyer being able to effectively handle a DUI defense are gone. If the attorney's caseload is not at least 90% DUI defense, chances are he/she does not have the ability to competently defend a DUI.
2. "Are you a member of a professional association or group whose members are specifically involved in DUI defense?"
3. "Can you tell me in general terms how to win a DUI case these days, and can you tell me the latest case to come out of the Georgia appellate courts?" (This year more than 28 new DUI related cases have come down from Georgia appellate courts; the law changes on a weekly basis)
4. "Do you know the court personnel where my DUI is located?"
5. "Do you know how to administer and evaluate field sobriety tests? Do you have knowledge of GBI rules and regulations on chemical testing? Do you have the same training manuals used by the police in detecting DUIs? "If not, ask the attorney how they could effectively cross examine the officer in your case without such knowledge.
6. "What are the fees?" Quite honestly, most good DUI lawyers will charge at least $1500 just to examine the facts of your case; that would NOT include actually fighting the charges.

CONCLUSION: Obviously if you were to interview with me, the answers to 1-5 would be a resounding yes, and my fees are indicative of my knowledge and experience in defending DUIs.
So, the next time you hear someone say their son or daughter received a DUI, and they are thinking about hiring the family lawyer, the corporate lawyer, or some lawyer who has sent out direct mail, PLEASE give them a copy of this article!