Should You Hire a Lawyer to Dismiss a Ticket?
If you don't think you're guilty, then you may be considering the option of contesting your ticket in a court of law. As always, this means you will have to hire a lawyer. Lots of people believe hiring a traffic ticket lawyer can help you get all charges dropped, which sounds ideal.
Unfortunately, it's not that simple.
Traffic ticket lawyers know which case they have a chance of winning and which cases they can't. But, just because a lawyer thinks he or she may be able to defend the ticket, that doesn't mean it will work.
If you hire a lawyer, be prepared to pay for the lawyer's services and the possibility that you may still have to pay for your ticket and court costs. Not to mention that most traffic ticket violation cases will take at least two workdays in court.
The risk of hiring a lawyer may seem like a more favorable option than having points on your license, but everyone has the option of taking traffic school.
Taking traffic school
Most states will allow first time offenders who committed a moving violation to elect to take a traffic school. This option allows you to pay for your ticket, which admits your guilt, but will not add points to your license. Instead, you will take a traffic school course within 90 days of electing the option.
With the convenience of online courses, this option becomes one of the cheapest and most risk free, if this option is open to you. Unlike the risk of hiring a lawyer, you know points will not be added to your license and you can get the ticket out of your mind and move on with your life.
Here's a quick look at the advantages and disadvantages of your two best traffic ticket options.
| Lawyers | Traffic School |
| $60 – $150 average cost | As Low as $15 – $20 |
| Points may be added to your license | NO points assessed on your license |
| Insurance may increase | Insurance will not increase |
| Takes at least two week days in court | Takes 4 hours |
| May lose your case | Looks good on your driving record |
Ultimately, you must choose which option you'd like to take, considering the benefits and costs of each. You want your record to be kept as clean as it can be. While you may win the court trail, it is not worth the risk of the extra time spent, having increased insurance, points on your license, not to mention the added expense of lawyer fees and court costs.