Do I Need a Speeding Ticket Lawyer?
So, you’ve unfortunately been cited with a speeding ticket. Maybe you don’t think it was justly given, or maybe you simply can’t afford to pay it. Nobody likes dealing with speeding tickets, however, there are resources that can help you reduce or dismiss the penalty. Let’s take a look at the logistics of hiring a speeding ticket lawyer: should you do it, is it financially worth it, and what other options do you have.
What Does a Speeding Ticket Lawyer Do?
Lawyers and attorneys practice in different fields. Speeding tickets are typically a specialization of “traffic” lawyers and attorneys. It is a traffic ticket lawyer’s job to understand all aspects of the law regarding speeding tickets, sign violation tickets, and more. In California, a speeding ticket lawyer must be extremely familiar with the California Vehicle Code. For example, here is a section of the CA VC that applies to speeding regulations:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=22350
Speeding Ticket Lawyers have the primary goal of reducing penalties associated with the infraction, participating in alternative negotiations, and ultimately dismissing the ticket entirely. Most speeding ticket lawyers ill know all of the “tricks” to getting out of a speeding citation. However, it is important to note that there are many situations where a ticket simply can’t be beat—even by an experienced traffic ticket attorney. In that case, is hiring a lawyer even worth it? Let’s find out.
Are the Lawyer Fees Worth it?
There is not a constant “yes” or “no” answer to this question. It really depends on the scenario, ticket cost, lawyer fee cost, and other various externalities. It’s all about risk; is the chance to avoid the immediate financial penalties and insurance hikes, worth the attorney’s fee? In many cases, it is not worth it. It is a known fact that lawyer’s fees are not cheap. Then, take into account the amount of time you will have to sacrifice to meet with your lawyer, create a case, go to court, etc. It adds up. There is also an inevitable opportunity cost when it comes to missing work to appear in court and handle other legal procedures.
Compare the attorney fee amount with the traffic ticket fine amount. If the attorney fee is larger, than your first thought will be to throw hiring a speeding ticket lawyer out of consideration. Don’t abandon the idea just yet however; speeding tickets can have lasting, damaging effects on insurance rates, and license suspensions. If cited for speeding, your insurance could increase over time to an amount much greater than the lawyer fee amount. Depending on the severity of a speeding ticket, one or two points will be added to your CA DMV record if cited in California. These DMV points can lead to your driver’s license being suspended. The tricky thing here, is that there is no guarantee—or even strong likelihood—that your speeding ticket lawyer will dismiss your ticket. There will always be a considerable chance that your case will fail, leading to you paying for the ticket, insurance hikes, and attorney fees—maybe it’s time to look for an alternative approach.
A Better Alternative to Speeding Ticket Lawyers
There is a way you can avoid going to court altogether. According to CA VC 40902, you are allowed to contest a ticket through a Trial by Written Declaration. How do you do this? A California ticket dismissal service can help you write a Trial by Written Declaration. Most reputable services handle all required paperwork as well. All you have to do is answer questions about the speeding ticket. After entering the relevant information, ticket dismissal services prepare your defense. You are required to mail in the defense, as California courts do not allow 3rd party services to mail it in. All in all, this method is much simpler than going through the process of hiring a speeding ticket lawyer. Another key advantage is that it will almost always be much cheaper too! TicketBust, for example, charges only $99 for cell phone and seat belt tickets, and $199 for other traffic tickets, such as speeding citations.
TicketBust: The Best way to Fight a California Speeding Ticket
California speeding tickets are at the high end of the spectrum, regarding nationwide costs. If you find yourself with a speeding citation, (or any other traffic ticket) be sure to look out for any breaches of traffic patrol policy. These instances can make a huge difference in the process of dismissing your ticket. A ticket fighting service can help you avoid citation penalties, negating the DMV points in the process. Find out how TicketBust can assist you, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.