Guide to Finding Minnesota DWI Lawyer

Getting arrested for DWI can create personal and economic hardships for you and your family. If you have been arrested for DWI in the state of Minnesota, MN DWI lawyers can help. A Minnesota DWI lawyer with proven experience in defending DWI cases can help you to negotiate a plea agreement or even argue successfully for acquittal at trial. This guide will help you to understand the role of your MN DWI lawyer and the penalties that Minnesota DWI lawyers will try to defend you from. At the end of this guide, you will also learn how to find MN DWI lawyers and consult with the Minnesota DWI lawyer who is right for you.

Your Right to a MN DWI Lawyer

Because DWI is a criminal charge, you have a legal right to have a Minnesota DWI lawyer represent you. Even if you cannot afford a lawyer, the court will appoint a public MN DWI lawyer for your case. The court will appoint public Minnesota DWI lawyers based on your income and asset levels.

However, public MN DWI lawyers have very high caseloads and can be less experienced in DWI cases than a private Minnesota DWI lawyer. Because of this, you may want to seek representation by private Minnesota DWI lawyers even if you qualify for a public MN DWI lawyer.

Affording MN DWI Lawyers

If you have decided that you must have a private Minnesota DWI lawyer, you may be wondering how you can afford it. Legal services have a reputation of being expensive, but finding a MN DWI lawyer doesn't have to break your budget. Most Minnesota DWI lawyers work for a flat fee based on the complexity of your case and whether you make a plea agreement or go to trial.

These flat fees can be quite reasonable, and if you cannot afford the entire fee upfront, many MN DWI lawyers will allow you to set up a payment plan to pay it off gradually. Don't be afraid of looking for a Minnesota DWI lawyer just because of cost—odds are, there are Minnesota DWI lawyers who can fit your budget.

Penalties for DWI in Minnesota

Minnesota takes drunk driving very seriously, and depending on whether your drunk driving has been worsened by one or more aggravating factors, you may be subject to felony penalties. MN DWI lawyers can help you to understand what penalties your DWI is subject to. A MN DWI lawyer can help with a first DWI with no aggravating factors—which carries a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $1000 fine—or even with more severe offenses.

If you have been charged with repeat DWI, Minnesota DWI lawyers may be your only chance of staying out of jail. Your Minnesota DWI lawyer can tell you about the minimum penalties for repeat drunk driving offenses. On your second offense, you are required to spend at least 2 days in jail and 30 days in home detention, and the penalties become even more severe after this. By your fifth DWI offense, your MN DWI lawyer will tell you that you must spend at least two months in jail.

Driving After DWI

MN DWI lawyers can work to keep you out of jail and also to keep you driving to work or school. After conviction for a DWI, your Minnesota DWI lawyer can help you to understand the driving-related penalties attached to your conviction. Depending on the case, your driving privileges may be suspended, your license plate may be impounded, or your vehicle may even be taken by police.

Your MN DWI lawyer can help you keep your car and keep you driving. Minnesota DWI lawyers can file an appeal if your license is revoked, and your Minnesota DWI lawyer can guide you through the appeals process so that your livelihood is not affected by your DWI. After the state revokes your license, you will be given a seven-day temporary license to give your MN DWI lawyer time to appeal the decision. If your Minnesota DWI lawyer is fast enough, you may be able to avoid any days without a license, at least on a first offense.

Finding MN DWI Lawyers

Trying to find Minnesota DWI lawyers by just looking in the phone book can be overwhelming. If you have a friend or relative who has used a MN DWI lawyer in the past, you may try asking them for Minnesota DWI lawyer recommendations. If you cannot find a personal recommendation, you may want to try looking for a MN DWI lawyer using Minnesota's Find a Lawyer service.

The Find a Lawyer service is sponsored by the Minnesota State Bar Association, and will help you to find a Minnesota DWI lawyer close to you. On the website for the Find a Lawyer service, you can select “criminal law” and then pick DWI as a specialty area to find MN DWI lawyers only. You can also limit your search to finding only Minnesota DWI lawyers in a specified radius of your home.

Investigating MN DWI Lawyers

Once you have found several Minnesota DWI lawyers using the Find a Lawyer service, you can begin to do research on them. While the vast majority of MN DWI lawyers are scrupulous and ethical, making sure that your potential MN DWI lawyer has no ethical violations may put your mind at ease.

The Minnesota Lawyers Professional Responsibility Board is the body that makes ethics rules for Minnesota DWI lawyers and imposes official disciplinary sanctions. You can look up your potential Minnesota DWI lawyer using their lawyer search tool. When you search for your MN DWI lawyer, you can find out if any complaints have been made against him or her, as well as the outcomes of those complaints.

Your First Consultation

When you find MN DWI lawyers close to you, you can schedule an initial consultation at no cost or a very low cost to you. During this consultation, you can talk to Minnesota DWI lawyers about what they can do for you and what their fees are. If you have any questions about your legal case, MN DWI lawyers may be able to answer them at your initial consultation, so write them down to make sure you don't forget.

You should also bring a pen and paper to note your impressions of the Minnesota DWI lawyers you talk to, as well as the answers to your questions and any other notes you may find valuable. After you consult with MN DWI lawyers, you can pick the Minnesota DWI lawyer who can best represent you.