Reader’s Question:

Can I be charged of DUI even if I dont have a car in Illinois?

John

Thank you for asking John.

Yes, you don’t have to be operating a car, truck or motorcycle to be arrested for DUI. Each state’s laws are different, but throughout the United States, individuals have been arrested for DUI while driving an assortment of motor vehicles, including boats, airplanes and bicycles.

In Illinois, these DUIs may seem amusing, but they’re actually very serious. Vehicle-free DUIs and non-driving DUIs pose just as much of a threat as “regular” DUIs, and can cause injury to people, other motorist, and yourself. And DUIs that don’t include vehicle certainly do include criminal penalties.

If you still have lingering questions regarding DUI, you should connect with a DUI lawyer for advice and clarification about DUI myths and DUI laws in Illinois.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Reader’s Question:

I was convicted for DUI and I just want to know if I need to get a DUI lawyer at this point. I live in Chicago Illinois.

Harry

Thank you for asking Harry.

Having an understanding Illinois DUI law and courtroom proceedings can be a challenge. Hiring a qualified Illinois DUI attorney or lawyer in Chicago who’s practice concentrates on drunk driving defense can make a difference in the outcome of your DUI charge. For a Chicago Illinois DUI lawyer or attorney, you can check some online for websites to get the best lawyer in your specific case and an Illinois DUI attorney that really knows drunk driving defense and the Illinois DUI law.

Each Chicago Illinois DUI Lawyer at offers an initial review of your drunk driving charge. Your inquiry online is free and confidential. But I suggest that you do it as soon as possible, as time is very critical in a DUI case.

Goodluck!

MariCAR

Never go to see your IL DUI lawyer unprepared. There are a few things you should do first. Maybe not absolutely necessary, but definitely advisable.

• Visit the library.

Head over to your local library branch and check out resources for your state DUI laws. You can assess the knowledge of your IL DUI lawyer better if you have a vague idea of what they should know. I’m not saying memorize all of the DUI laws there are, but just skimming some information and taking a few lines of notes could go a long way.

• Know what’s against you.

Your IL DUI lawyer will need to know for your case what kind of evidence there is against you. When you were pulled over, did you give off physical signs of drunkenness such as slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, and all of that? Did behaviour such as erratic driving draw the police’s attention to you to begin with? Did you say anything incriminating? Were you tested for blood alcohol concentration, and if so, what were the results?

To find the best Chicago IL DUI attorney, you need to be prepared to take some time. To really understand whether or not an attorney is the best one for you, you will have to have a consultation with them. Not only should they be competent about DUI law, but the best Chicago IL DUI attorney should also get along with you well enough that the two of you can work together.

How do you know if a lawyer is competent about DUI law? The best way is to find out how much of their case load is for DUI convictions. If it’s less than 50%, then they probably don’t have enough experience to bother, and you should avoid them. Preferably, you want someone who deals exclusively in DUI, but if you can’t get that, it’s understandable. A DUI lawyer should have at least a couple of years of experiences. Don’t bother with anybody fresh out of law school.

You can also find the best Chicago DUI attorney by asking people about their lawyer experiences. You can talk to friends and family, other lawyers, find information online, and so on. Find out if your state bar would recommend them. Check the yellow pages for options.

Hiring an Illinois DUI lawyer is expensive, and that’s on top of all of the other expenses which come along with getting a DUI. In this area you’ll see

• your bail
• fines and fees, such as tickets and license reinstatement fees
• higher insurance costs for years
• possible job loss
• court costs

So it’s important that you consider a lawyer’s rates when you are looking for an Illinois DUI lawyer cost. A lawyer who charges high rates is not automatically going to be the best, nor is one with low rates automatically going to be the worst.

Lawyers charge for services in several different ways. Some may charge by the hour, and if you have a complicated case then this could add up. Some charge the same fee for everyone, depending on their case, and this may be cheaper for you in some cases. Others also charge a flat fee, but split it up. Part for while they’re preparing your case, which you won’t have to pay more than if you don’t go to court, but if you do, you will.

But you don’t always need a Chicago IL DWI lawyer. Sometimes it really is up to you. While I still think that everybody with a DUI should hire a lawyer, sometimes you really just don’t have that option or are confident in yourself to forgo it. Still, if this is the case for you, only pass on a lawyer if the offense is small enough to not warrant a huge punishment.

Reasons why you could (or could not) decide to get a Chicago IL DWI lawyer.

• you may need someone to do some explaining to you. The books on DWI laws are pretty thick, and so it’s important to get your information from somebody who knows what’s going on.
• the place you work at may require bonding.
• you may be part of an education program to get a professional license which, if you are convicted, could be restricted to you.

At other times, when you are faced with the possibility of needing to hire a Springfield DUI attorney, the options may not be entirely clear. Still, in many cases it is best if you take the safest route and go ahead and hire a lawyer. When you have a doubt, better go out and get representation.

Reasons why you’re probably going to need a Springfield IL DUI attorney.

• while the consequences for a second DUI arrest are not quite as heavy as those for a third or a fourth or a fifth, they’re still a long stretch away from whatever consequences you suffered with your first one. If you’re on number two, you most likely need to call up a lawyer.
• if you had a baby in the backseat. When you have someone under 18 driving with you when you’re drunk, then you’re in trouble for endangerment of a minor on top of DUI, and so you’re likely going to need some more help.
• drunk is drunk, but sometimes the drunker you are, the heavier your sentence. If, when you were arrested, your BAC was two times the legal limit, you’re in even deeper waters.

There are time when you have no choice but to hire a Peoria IL DUI attorney. By doing anything but this, you are basically setting yourself up for a terrible disaster. Even if you don’t have the money, talk with your DMV and find out what other options you have for representation, because you could suffer quite a bit if you don’t have any.

Why you absolutely need a Peoria IL DUI attorney.

• if you’re face is well known in drunk driving court, then yeah, you’re probably going to need a Peoria IL DUI attorney and a good one. No matter what the particular laws say, in every state the more times you are convicted of driving under the influence, the worse the consequences you will face are.
• you’re DUI may result from something pretty disastrous. If you were driving drunk and got into the car accident, and in this accident someone was injured or, even worse, killed, then you better run to the lawyer’s office. You would need one even if you hadn’t been drunk.
• if losing your license means losing your job, then, well, you can’t risk that, so you need a lawyer to argue the particulars of your case.

So, you got a DUI, and now you’re wondering what you need a Chicago IL DUI lawyer for. As a matter of fact, these lawyers can be very helpful, and here are some of the ways they can help you out.

• Speak for you in court.

The primary purpose of a Chicago DUI lawyer is representation. They can stand for you in court and argue in order to get you an easier time, fewer consequences, lower fines, and so on. Without a lawyer to do this for you, you could suffer much more because of your DUI.

• Figure you out and tell you what’s what.

You may not know what you need for your case on your own, but a Chicago IL DUI lawyer can look at it and explain to you what it all means, and then they can tell you what kinds of consequences you may face because of it.

• Take care of the little stuff.

Being convicted of a DUI is stressful enough already, and a lawyer can ease some of the stress by taking all of the menial work onto their hands–all that paperwork, all those phone calls. They can make sure your court date coincides with your schedule and so on.