Frame9

I wear several hats in my “business life.” I am a business owner. I am a receptionist. I am a DUI lawyer. I am a marketer. I am an office manager. But it’s the business owner and marketer jobs that I find to be the most difficult. And the reason is simple – there are no straightforward answers in the life of business ownership and marketing. I’ll give you two examples.

First, I’m in the process of looking for office space. I’ve got several goals with this space. It needs to be cheap, nice, have free parking, have easy access to the freeway, and should be overall appealing enough that I want to go there every day. But it’s not as easy as it sounds, because it also needs to be the type of space that puts potential clients at ease and gives them a feeling that we’re going to be able to help them in the way that they want.

Which brings me to unsolvable problem number two – marketing and expressing to clients what you know in a way that makes them want to sign up with you. Although it may seem like DUI attorneys are a dime a dozen, in real life that simply isn’t true. Some are better than others. Some are more trustworthy than others. And I am both good and trustworthy.

But what can you do to show that to the client? Doesn’t it have to be an internalized feeling?

The answers to these questions are endless, and I think the only way you can truly know what works is trial and error, hopefully with more trial than error. And I do know one thing, throwing money at the problem is usually not the answer. Most of the time taking a step back, thinking about what people want, and then finding a way to give it to them is what works.

What works for you?

If you are a Seattle DUI lawyer or a criminal attorney anywhere else in the country, then you’ve undoubtedly had these conversations at dinner parties, family gatherings, and anywhere else that you meet people and talk about what you do for a living. The conversation goes a little something like this:

Them: “So, what do you do for a living.”

You: “I’m a Seattle DUI defense attorney.”

Them (with look of utter disgust): “How can you help people like that? How can you sleep at night knowing that you are putting drunk drivers back out on the road?”

In case you were wondering the answer to this question, I thought I’d answer it today. First of all, I sleep just fine, thank you very much. In fact, I sleep like a baby. I do this for two reasons. First, I make enough money that I can afford a really nice bed. Second, every day I am helping people piece their life back together from what can be a devastating experience. You’d be amazed at how easily doing something like that every day make you sleep.

And on top of that, there is the fact that 95% of the time my clients exhibited no signs of drunk driving when they were pulled over. What do you think the most common traffic infractions are that lead to DUIs? Weaving outside the lane? Driving excessive speed? Nope. It’s usually something failing to use a turn signal before changing lanes, expired tabs, following too closely, and broken tail lights. Basically something any of us could get pulled over for at any time. So I enjoy helping these people fight the bogus charges against them.

Another reason I like to do it is that I enjoy the fight that’s involved. The daily life of a Seattle DUI attorney is jabbing and counter-punching heavy handed prosecutors that want nothing more than to put your client in jail. If we don’t fight for them no one will. And one day, if your on the other side of the long arm of the law, you’re going to be glad we’re here.

Drinking and driving never go hand in hand, whether you are above the legal age of consuming alcohol or not, any amount of alcohol is dangerous. Impairment of senses begins way before the alcohol-blood concentration level reaches the allowed limit of 0.08. There has been a steep rise in the number of DUI cases, similarly complaints against malpractices of DUI lawyers who tend to bend the rules for their clients has also risen.

A DUI client should be extremely careful while choosing a lawyer for his or her defense. The primary prerequisite is that the lawyer should be a specialist in DUI cases and should be experienced. Moreover, the lawyer should be easy to speak to, someone you may trust and someone who treats you with some respect.
The client-lawyer relationship is based on trust and some lawyers do betray the trust that results in damage to the whole system.

The ethic rules prohibit lawyers from indulging into any kind of misconduct or unethical behavior and there may be an action taken against them if found guilty. For example – A DUI lawyer is not allowed to be in contact with the victim for a certain period and any breach may lead to unfavorable consequences.

Before appointing a DUI lawyer one must check his or her backgrounds for any complaint history and track outcome and proceedings of the previous DUI cases he was involved with. There are certain things to keep in mind; the complaint may range from:

• Lack of communication with the client
• Excessive collection of fees and other cost related disputes
• The lawyer comes unprepared for the case
• Involved in any malpractices or unfair and unprofessional conduct
• Previous records of negative comment or complaints with the state bar

The best DUI lawyer should be appointed after properly scrutinizing above points and making sure that the lawyer is certified and experienced.