You need to hire an Orange County DUI attorney almost immediately after being charged with DUI in OC. There are several short deadlines that must be met to avoid losing your driver's license and to avoid hurting your case as you get closer to your court date. You should be hiring the attorney quickly, but that doesn't mean hiring without doing any due diligence. Here are three simple tips that will help you narrow down your Orange County DUI attorney options as you make this very important decision.

Word of mouth referral

One of the best ways to find an attorney who is aggressive and will fight for your case is to ask around. There are a lot people who have been charged with driving under the influence. On one level, there's a backwards incentive for the County and for the police. DUI charges are a source of revenue for them. So, the more people they charge, the more income the County makes. With DUI checkpoints and increase police surveillance of drivers, the numbers of citizens charged with DUI has been on the rise. There is quite likely someone you know, or a friend of a friend, who has faced a DUI personally. Ask around. You can likely get a recommendation, or a lack of a recommendation, for an Orange County DUI attorney. The lack of a recommendation will help you, too. It will help you narrow down the list of possibilities.

Lawyer referral service

Many counties have a lawyer referral service. If you are looking for an Orange County DUI attorney, or a Southern California DUI lawyer, you can call the local referral service and ask for a particular type of attorney. In Orange County, the number to call is 949-440-674. You will be given contact information for an attorney. While this service can be very helpful, there are a couple of things you should be aware of. First of all, the referral service is not free for everyone. Usually, the service does not charge for criminal defense attorney referrals, but others get charged $25, as of the last time I checked the fee. Second, the referral service will give you the name and contact information of more than one attorney, but not in one phone call. It seems they want you to check out the first referral they give you before they give you the name of a second referral attorney. It works the same way once you get the name of the second referral attorney. The service will not give you the third attorney's information until after you have screened out the second attorney. Finally, be aware that not all lawyer referral services use the same criteria for adding someone to their list of referral attorneys. In many places, the attorney pays a fee to be included on the referral service's list of attorneys.

Board certifications

When you have made a list of OC DUI lawyer names and you are trying to narrow it down, board certifications are one way to do so. Hiring an attorney without a certain certification does not mean they are a bad attorney or will get a worse result for you and your case. But, hiring an attorney who is board certified in certain areas can help guarantee that attorney meets certain qualifications that can be helpful to your case. The State of California Bar does not certify attorneys as DUI specialists, but it does certify specialists in criminal defense. That is one certification you may want to look for. Other certifications that can indicate an attorney is an experienced DUI attorney include being certified by the National College For DUI Defense, or being certified in DUI defense by the American Bar Association. In many cases, an attorney who is board certified may charge more for their services. Paying for that expertise may be well worth your money.

If you have been charged with DUI in Orange County, you need to get an attorney. Use the tips above to help find the best attorney for your situation. Once you have list of potential attorneys to hire, evaluate whether you want a board certified attorney in a particular area. These tips can help you hire the best Orange County DUI attorney for your case.