Posted on December 14, 2007 by Glen Neeley

Utah DUI Attorney

The question that was presented to me the other day was, "Why should I hire a Utah DUI Attorney, rather than an attorney that does all sorts of cases?"  I responded, with a question, "If you needed brain surgery, would you go to a general practitioner?"  Defending DUI has become a specialty that takes years of training and experience to properly defend a person properly.  To be a Utah DUI Attorney does not necessarily mean the attorney's practice is exclusively devoted to defending DUIs.  However, it should be pretty close.  A Utah DUI Attorney can be identified because he has certificates on his wall showing you that he has been to national seminars.  The Utah DUI Attorney will have a bookshelf in his office chalk full of how to defend DUIs in Utah.  The Utah DUI Attorney will not talk to you about plea bargain as your first option when you walk through the door.  The Utah DUI Attorney will not be cheap because he will do more work on the DUI case than the general practitioner. 

In shopping for a DUI lawyer, many people shop for the cheapest Utah DUI Attorney they can find.  The problem is that those people almost always regret it.  The biggest complaint I hear from people about their Utah DUI attorney is not that they lost my case.  The biggest complaint is that "my attorney didn't do anything.  He was the cheapest I could afford, but he would not take my case to trial." 

On a side note, when looking for a Utah DUI Attorney, make sure you ask the question to the attorney you are interviewing, "are you going to handle my case, or is there someone else that will handle the case like and associate."

Here are some key points in looking for a Utah DUI Attorney:

  • How many times does the attorney go to trial?
  • What type of seminars has the attorney attended in the last two years?
  • Has the attorney been certified in conducting Field Sobriety Tests?
  • Has the attorney completed any special training on the breath test instruments?
  • What does the attorney's study and what books are on his shelf in his office?
  • What does the attorney charge?
  • What do other attorney's say about the attorney?
  • What percentage of his practice is focused on DUIs?
Again, don't let a general practitioner do brain surgery.  If you need help with a personal injury, look for an attorney that specializes in personal injury.  If you need help with a divorce, look for an attorney that focuses on family law.  If you need help with a DUI, look for a Utah DUI Attorney.  It just makes good sense.

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Posted on August 3, 2007 by Glen Neeley

Utah DUI Lawyer--What to Look For in an Attorney?

People often ask me what to look for when hiring a lawyer to defend their DUI. Generally speaking, there are six things that a person should see in a lawyer. Look for a specialist, someone who focuses on your type of case, and someone who has experienced and is trained in this area of the law. It has been said that DUI cases are the most complex type of cases because of the science and the intricate facts that surround a DUI case. That being said, if you had to have brain surgery, you would not go to a family physician. You would seek out the best surgeon you could find. Here are the five things I think a person should look for in an attorney.

Associations: The National College of DUI Defense is an association that provides the most advanced training in defending a DUI. The best attorney’s from around the nation are members of this organization and help train other attorney’s in this specialized field. Your attorney should be an active member of this organization and it will give you a good clue that the attorney knows how to properly defend a DUI. The attorney should also be a member of his local Criminal Defense Association (i.e. Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers). The attorney should also be a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Association. The attorney should also have formal training in trial work such as the Trial Lawyers College so they have not only been trained in the knowledge but also in the presentation.


Experience: Ask questions about how long the attorney has been representing citizens accused of DUIs. Ask the attorney how many trials they have done that relate to DUI. Ask the attorney about suppression hearings they have done.

Case Load: You want to determine if the attorney is just a dump truck that takes your case, takes your attorney fee, and then walks you in and says there is nothing we can do, just plead guilty. I try to keep my case load between 30 to 50 clients. It does no service to a client if the attorney is just running around on 200 cases trying to do a volume business. Try to decipher if the attorney has the time to think about your case, or just wants your money. Sometimes you can decipher this by what they charge. If the attorney charges your $500, you can expect a $500 job. To properly defend a case, be prepared for a couple of thousand.   Remember, you get what you pay for!

Practice Focus: Determine what percentage of their practice is focused on DUI. Are they a lawyer that does a run of the mill and is offering to do your bankruptcy, divorce, and personal injury case too? Look at where the attorney focuses his practice.

Accessibility: Determine whether you will be able to get a hold of your attorney. I provide my clients with all of my contact information including cell phone and email address. Most if not all clients, will receive contact back from within just a couple of hours, unless I’m in trial, then it would be the next day. 

How do You feel:  Finally, Determine how you feel about the attorney and if you trust the attorney.  Does the attorney sound like a salesman, or is he really interested in your case. Does he ask you in-depth questions about your case and answer your questions?

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