TRAFFIC TICKET FAQ’s
Q:Do I have to come to your office?
A:No! For your convenience, you can hire the law firm with just a simple phone call. We can provide the paperwork that you need to sign in order to hire the firm to represent you by mail, by email, or by fax. You can review it at your leisure and take as much time as you need. The law firm can answer all your questions over the phone once you have had the chance to read the paperwork or to think of anything that you would like to ask or discuss.
Q:How much time do I have to decide about what to do with my ticket?
A:Generally speaking, you have thirty (30) days from the date you were issued the ticket to inform the clerk of court of what your plea to the ticket is: guilty, no contest/nolo contendere, or guilty. If you wait longer than 30 days, you may have to pay late fees, and your driver’s license may be suspended as well, which you will have to pay for to be reinstated.
If you hire an attorney to represent you, the attorney can enter a plea of not guilty for you on your behalf. If you just go ahead and pay the ticket, then that is considered a guilty plea and is an admission of guilt. Also, points can be assessed against your driver’s license, which means your insurance rates could go up. If you are eligible to elect to go to traffic school and enter a plea of no contest or guilty, then you must still pay the monetary penalty of the ticket and pay to go to traffic school too! And, of course, you must complete the traffic school and make sure that the court receives proof that you completed the traffic school by the deadline given to you.
Q:Do I have to come to court?
A:Well, yes, if you choose to represent yourself and are not represented by an attorney. If you hire the law firm to represent you, then maybe. It depends on the kind of traffic charge you have. In general, if you have a noncriminal traffic infraction, you do not have to come to the court hearing if you sign the appropriate paperwork the firm will provide to you allowing the firm to represent you without you being there. Of course, if you want to attend, you are certainly welcome to come to court. If you have a criminal traffic charge, you may or may not have to appear in court. It all depends upon the particular judge who is presiding over your case. Some judges do not require a defendant to appear if their attorney has the proper paperwork signed by the defendant allowing the attorney to appear on their behalf. You can ask the law firm about what the judge who is handling your case requires. If you are ever not sure, it’s always best to be safe and attend a court hearing. If you are required to attend a court date, the law firm will try to get a court date that is convenient for you.
Q:How much time does it take until the case is finished in the court?
A:For a typical noncriminal traffic infraction ticket, it usually takes anywhere between four (4) to six (6) months. The first court date for a criminal traffic offense is usually within about a month after you were issued the ticket or were arrested and you are not required to close the case at the first court hearing.
Q:Will I get points assessed against my driving record?
A:The law firm guarantees no points assessed against your driving record or the attorney representation fee you paid for the ticket for which you were assessed points will be refunded in full. This does not mean that the firm guarantees that you will not be given points on your driving record no matter what. It means that the law firm is so confident that if you are given points, the law firm will refund the attorney representation fee you paid for that ticket. The guarantee applies only to noncriminal and nonaccident traffic infraction offenses and only if you have not been charged with a traffic violation in a certain period of time.
Q:So, what do I have to pay?
A:You have to pay the attorney representation fee in order to hire the law firm to represent you. If your ticket is dismissed, then you do not have to pay any more money to anybody. But, if your ticket is not dismissed, then you may have to pay court costs and/or a fine, which are paid to the clerk of court. The amount of court costs are decided by the judge or hearing officer, and, in general, they are usually much less than the amount of the ticket
Q:What happens if my ticket is dismissed?
A:You pay nothing--no court costs, no fines-- and there is nothing placed on your driving record for it.
Q:What happens if my ticket is not dismissed?
A:The goal of the law firm is to get tickets dismissed. However, if a ticket is not dismissed the firm strives to achieve the best possible resolution for the ticket and for your driving record. You may have to pay court costs, which are usually much less than the amount of the ticket and which are determined by the judge or hearing officer. Court costs are paid to the clerk of the court for the county where the ticket was received. The amount of court costs depends upon the type of traffic violation as well as the county in which the ticket was issued.
Q:What if I do not respond to the clerk of the court within thirty (30) days of being issued my ticket?
A:You can still hire the law firm to represent you for the ticket. In order to be able to get the ticket reset for court, a late fee must be paid to the clerk of court. The law firm will collect the late fee payment from you and will pay it to the clerk of court at the time that the law firm files a written plea of not guilty and other documents on your behalf with the court. If the ticket involves a moving violation, then you will also be required to pay money to the clerk of the court to obtain a D-6 clearance for it. The law firm will collect the money for the D-6 clearance from you and pay it to the clerk of the court when the firm files a written plea of not guilty and other documents on your behalf with the court. You will also have to pay for your driver’s license or driving privilege to be reinstated.
For more information about how the firm can help you, call 954-448-5300 for a FREE, no obligation consultation with an attorney, not a receptionist, assistant, or paralegal.
