Choosing a DUI lawyer in Helen

Do you need a lawyer?

The law does not require you to have one, and you can represent yourself. If you cannot afford a lawyer, you can ask the court about appointed counsel through the public defender. A Georgia DUI runs on two tracks at once:

• the DDS administrative suspension, with a 30-day deadline to request an ALS hearing or choose the interlock permit (ALS hearing guide), and
• the criminal case, in Helen Municipal Court, White County Probate Court, or White County Superior Court (how the case moves).

They are decided separately, by different offices, under different rules. A lawyer you hire can handle both.

If you cannot afford a lawyer

The Enotah Circuit Public Defender represents people the court finds unable to afford a lawyer in the Enotah Judicial Circuit, which includes White County. Its office is at 59 S. Main Street, Suite C, Cleveland, phone 706-348-8577. Apply early, and keep going to every court date on your paperwork while you wait. Ask the office directly whether it can help with the ALS hearing. Habersham County is in a different circuit, the Mountain Judicial Circuit; if your case is there, ask the State Court or Clerk of Court in Clarkesville how to apply for appointed counsel.

Finding a private lawyer

Our directory. The attorney listings are firms with offices in or near White and Habersham counties that list DUI defense on their own websites, shown in alphabetical order and labeled unclaimed until the firm verifies them. Several are in Cleveland, Gainesville, Dahlonega, and Demorest, which is common for a small city like Helen. A listing is not a recommendation.

Check the license. The State Bar of Georgia lets you look up whether a lawyer is a member in good standing.

What a DUI lawyer looks at

Georgia's implied consent and DUI statutes set out specific steps, and a lawyer will check whether they were followed. These are the kinds of questions the law raises:

• The stop and arrest. Did the officer have reasonable grounds, and was the arrest lawful? That is one of the questions at the ALS hearing.
• The implied consent notice. Was the right notice read, in substance, at the right time?
• The test. Was it given by an operator with a valid permit on an approved instrument in good working order?
• Your additional test. If you asked for an independent test after the state's test, was that request handled properly?
• The record. Do prior convictions really fall inside the 10-year window that raises the penalties?

None of this means a case will be dismissed. It is what a lawyer will review.

Questions to ask before you hire

• Do you regularly handle DUI cases in the court on my citation (Helen Municipal Court, White County Probate Court, or White County Superior Court)?
• Will you file my ALS hearing request before the 30-day deadline, or help me decide on the interlock permit?
• What is your fee, what does it cover, and what costs extra (for example a trial)?
• Who will actually appear for me?
• I live out of state. What will I need to attend in person?

Get the fee agreement in writing. A lawyer who promises a specific outcome is promising something no one can guarantee.

What to bring to the first meeting

Most lawyers offer a short first call or meeting before you hire them. You will get more out of it if you bring:

• the citation or ticket, with the court name and first court date;
• your bond paperwork and any release conditions, such as no alcohol or testing;
• every notice about your license, including the paper the officer gave you in place of your license, with the date it was served;
• the name of the arresting agency and, if you know it, the officer's name;
• a short written timeline: where you were, what you drank or took and when, when you were stopped, and what tests you were asked to take;
• a list of any prior traffic or criminal cases, in any state; and
• your work and family needs, especially if you must drive for work.

Write down your questions before the call. It is easy to forget them once the conversation starts.

How fees usually work

Fee arrangements differ. Some lawyers charge a flat fee for a stage of the case, such as everything up to a plea or trial, and some bill by the hour. Ask what the fee covers: the license hearing, motions, a trial, expert witnesses, and any appeal may be priced separately. Ask for the agreement in writing before you pay, and ask what happens to the fee if the case ends early. This site does not set or recommend fees.

About this directory

The lawyers in our directory are listed in alphabetical order, not ranked. An unclaimed listing means the details were taken from the firm's own website and the firm has not reviewed them. A listing is not a recommendation, and no site can promise an outcome. Do your own checking before you hire anyone.