17
Jan

A common question that attorneys get is: Do I REALLY need to hire a lawyer for my traffic ticket? Read here to learn what our attorneys have to say:

1. Save time: By hiring an attorney, you will be able to save yourself from having to miss work. In almost all cases involving simple speeding tickets (under 80MPH unless you are on the interstate or going more than 25 over), an attorney can appear for you without you having to be there at all. What you can expect locally: Guilford and Alamance start at 2 o’clock and you will have to wait up to three hours for your turn, depending on if and when your case is called. Alamance in particular, they handle all standard traffic tickets without attorneys on Friday afternoons… not a great way to end the week! In Forsyth County, court is open to the public at 10 AM, on a first come first serve basis. While you might only have to wait in line for five minutes, you might be there for three hours, because they can handle upwards of 1,000 tickets on a busy day in that courtroom. Just depends on how many other people came at the same time you did. With a lawyer, you will not have to even take off work. The lawyers at Payne Law, PLLC will handle it all for you.

2. Get the best deal possible: An attorney will be able to negotiate the best deal for you possible considering your driving record and any other factors that the district attorney will consider, such as weather, traffic considerations, etc. Certain counties also strictly limit the number of improper equipment you will receive in a given time period. It is helpful to know what each county’s “standard” deals are and what options the district attorney’s office will consider. An experienced traffic ticket attorney, such as the ones at Payne Law, PLLC, will be able to navigate those hurdles with these to help you get the best results possible.

3. Save Money: Hiring an attorney is not as expensive as it sounds! On most traffic tickets when you factor in court costs and paying for a driving history, the actual cost of hiring an attorney is under $200 for a simple speeding ticket. Of course, if you were going over 80 miles an hour, or this is the third ticket in six months, then the fees might be a little bit more. However the fees will still be much cheaper than risking it and ending up paying increased insurance for three years after conviction! This is especially true if you have multiple prior tickets. A typical cost for a traffic ticket is around $400 (plus or minus depending on speed, fines, etc.). You’ll pay around $188 in court costs, $25 fine, $50 improper equipment fee… ALL of that money you will spend even if you do it yourself. That’s a total of $263 to the courthouse. You’ll pay around $5-20 to pull your driving record (because the DA doesn’t want to do your work for you), which leaves around $100 to $150 for the attorney. Compare that to paying even just $25/more per month in car insurance – you’ll spend almost a thousand dollars more for insurance over the next three years. Not to mention things like unpaid time off work (or having to take hard earned paid time off), plus hassle, inconvenience, having to find parking and deal with the courthouse…

If you get pulled for speeding in Forsyth, Guilford, or Alamance Counties or the surrounding area, give our office a call and let us quote you a price. Not only will you probably not have to take off work, but we will save you money by making sure to get you the best deal possible to preserve your insurance premiums and driving record.