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If you got caught driving under the influence, you know that having a good lawyer can make a huge difference in the outcome of your case. However, it can be uncomfortable to ask friends or post on social media for legal recommendations. Luckily, there are services available that can connect you with a DUI lawyer in your area, or even in the area where the charges were filed.
Using a lawyer referral service allows you to explore your options for legal representation. With database-style referral sites, you can explore all the lawyers that cover DUIs in your area and even have multiple law firms consider your case, giving you the ability to choose the lawyer that you feel is the best fit for your situation.
Thursday, March 20th
Justia is an online legal resource platform on a mission to advance the availability of legal resources for the benefit of society. They offer a variety of primary legal materials, including free case law, regulations, codes, and legal articles to simplify the process of finding legal information, get answers to DUI/DWI-related questions and browse through answers provided by other users. On the DUI page, Justia explains what clients should be aware of when trying to hire a DUI lawyer including experience of the lawyer and cost expectations. Like many sites in our review, they also provide services in all 50 states.
No zip code, but tons of options
To get started with Justia you can begin browsing by state or by major city. Once you narrow down by your state and the nearest major city (which you should select based on the courthouse you'll be attending for your DUI case), there is an impressive list of lawyers to choose from. One of the standout features of Justia is its long list of DUI lawyers in various areas. The results are easily sorted by the lawyer's rating, years of experience, fees, languages spoken, whether or not they offer video chat, and the overall strength of their profile. The comprehensive information provided by Justia's search results is a valuable tool for those looking to make informed decisions when choosing a DUI lawyer.
Client-focused information delivery
The way the listings for lawyers are presented on Justia is particularly helpful to potential clients. Listings show the law firm and name of the lawyer as well as contact information. Additionally, there are individual ratings visible on a 10-star scale that depends on previous clients leaving reviews. You can also easily see if the lawyer charges for a consultation and if online sessions are available for even more convenience to the client. You can also easily find information like the law school the individual lawyers attended.
Easily compare lawyers and their skills
Justia also has a feature that we found particularly helpful: actual case results for some of the attorneys listed. Additionally, Justia provides millions of pages of these documents for free, so users can have as much information as possible when selecting a lawyer. And if those aren't customer-focused enough, Justia's "Compare and Save" feature allows users to narrow down their choices and keep track of any DUI/DWI attorneys that seem like a good fit. If you like more than one, you can easily do a side-by-side comparison without losing your place in the search.
Customer service is Justia's priority
Justia has been putting in the work for customer satisfaction lately. Their rating was formerly a "B” from the Better Business Bureau, but now they have a solid "A+” rating, 5 stars, and accreditation from the BBB. While there aren't as many individual reviews outside of Justia itself, the company has a 4.1-star average rating from third-party review sites, which is impressive compared to other options in our review. We love the heavy focus on customer satisfaction, and we're sure that DUI clients will appreciate it too. It is a strong choice for those in need of representation for their DUI/DWI case.
#1 for customer satisfaction
Justia is our top option for finding a DUI lawyer. Their mission to provide free legal resources to the public shows their commitment to helping people in need. What sets Justia apart is its focus on customer service, which is reflected in the comprehensive search results, side-by-side comparison tools, and actual case results. The platform's accommodating response to customer complaints shows its dedication to providing accessible legal resources. With an "A+" rating from the BBB and a 4.1-star average rating from third-party review sites, Justia is a reliable service for those seeking representation for their DUI/DWI case.
Lawyers, an online legal resource platform, opened its virtual doors in 2009 with a mission to provide society with improved access to legal resources. Today, the company boasts more than 100,000 active users and has collected over one million lawyer reviews.
Lots of helpful information
Lawyers simplifies the process of finding legal information, offering a variety of primary legal materials, including free case law, regulations, codes, and legal articles. On the DUI page itself, Lawyers offers a variety of informative paragraphs to help customers hire the right DUI lawyer and access their "ask a lawyer” feature. With an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, Lawyers is a trusted resource for legal information and services available in all 50 states.
Fewer options than expected, but good variety
To get started with the Lawyers site, you can either use the initial click-through searches for states or popular cities, or you can use the available search tool on Lawyers to look for lawyers based on your current location. To test out the results of this search, we put in our local city to explore the variety of attorneys we could find on Lawyers. With over one million attorneys in its database, which covers 95% of all practicing lawyers in the US, we were expecting a much wider variety. There were only 22 lawyers available in our initial search for DUI/DWI lawyers. It's important to note that some of the listings at the top are sponsored, so you may need to scroll a little while to get to ones that aren't paid advertisements.
At-a-glance details
One of the best things about Lawyers is how easy it is to find detailed information about each matched attorney or law firm. In the results list, users can see client ratings, the attorney's satisfaction rating, whether or not a client can get a free consultation, whether the attorney has won any awards, as well as the basics like contact information, and access to the direct website for the individual law firm or lawyer. Additionally, Lawyers offers a compare feature, so you can save your favorite options and compare them later without losing your place in the search.
In-depth profiles
Users can get even more information about a particular attorney by selecting their profile. There, users can read detailed reviews, learn more about the attorneys at the firm, and determine what types of payments are accepted. Lawyers works to take out the guesswork and give users a wide range of attorneys to choose from with full detail so the potential client doesn't need to do outside research, which is a benefit.
Legal articles and blogs available
In addition to the information about attorneys, Lawyers also provides users access to a plethora of legal articles written by knowledgeable legal editors and attorney writers. These articles cover various areas of law, such as workers' compensation and bankruptcy, and provide valuable insights into working with lawyers. Additionally, Lawyers' Legal Costs and Outcomes Center offers users access to real-world data and analysis, derived from individuals' genuine experiences with the legal system. These resources can be highly beneficial to clients seeking information and guidance regarding legal matters.
Competitive ratings and positive reviews
In terms of customer feedback, Lawyers is a competitive option. The company has an "A+” rating from the BBB as well as an average star rating of 3.5 out of 5 across third-party review sites. In general, happy customers note that Lawyers connected them with attorneys who were able to help them and prioritized the client's needs. All the 5-star reviews mention particular lawyers as well as the range of fantastic experiences clients had after finding them through Lawyers. Many of the lower reviews are from the business side - lawyers who are advertising on the site - though some clients did have trouble with individual attorneys. It may be important at Lawyers to take advantage of any available free consultation and make sure you're comfortable with a particular lawyer before hiring.
Second place pick
Overall, Lawyers is a great resource to turn to for a DUI/DWI lawyer. Although they come in second place to our top option, their variety of attorneys and standout online tools make them a top choice. Lawyers has over 100,000 active users and offers a wide variety of primary legal materials, including free case law, regulations, codes, and legal articles. Their search tool makes it easy to find detailed information about each matched attorney or law firm, including client ratings and reviews. Although their pool of attorneys is slightly smaller than the top rated service in our review, Lawyers is still worth considering for anyone in need of a trustworthy DUI lawyer.
Expertise is an online company that connects customers with businesses across all areas of life including home, finances, and even legal concerns like DUIs. Through a quantified selection process, Expertise offers a list of professionals to help connect users with businesses that can support their needs.
DUI lawyer search
DUI lawyers are no exception. Their DUI page includes a search feature to connect you with a recommended lawyer, as well as some basics on how to tell if you need an attorney or how much you can expect the case to cost. There is also an award displayed on the site saying Expertise has some of the best DUI lawyers available, which the company won in 2023.
Expertise narrows down the search for you
In order to find your DUI lawyer on Expertise, you just have to enter your zip code. For our local area, Expertise showed 20 different options for DUI lawyers. The listings are ranked by Expertise's specific criteria which include availability of the business, qualifications, reputation, experience, and professionalism. These criteria are used to narrow down the selection to the top 20 available DUI lawyers in your area. While we appreciate that the search has been done for us, which could be convenient for many customers, there isn't any way to add additional filters to this search or to change criteria other than your location, which could be limiting some of the lawyers available.
At-a-glance information on listings
In terms of the listings themselves, Expertise provides all the key information you might need at a glance. This includes the name of the law firm as well as the particular attorney who you might be engaging. There are links to email, call, or visit the attorney's individual website as well as information on the company's reputation, the professionalism rating, and whether or not a customer can get a free consultation. Thankfully all of the listings that offer free consultations are at the top of the page to make them more easily accessible. Additionally, you can see a particular attorney's areas of practice along the top of each listing, making it easy to determine if that attorney will be the most helpful with the specifics of your DUI case.
Rigorous selection policies
Expertise has a thorough process for selecting businesses that are featured on their website. They begin by identifying all potential providers in a community using public databases and customer referrals. The team then validates each business' qualifications and checks whether they hold the required licenses or certifications to operate in their area of expertise. To assess a provider's reputation, Expertise checks public records and information based on the number of professional databases reviewing them, their average review score, and the volatility of their ratings. Once a provider has passed their review and selection process, they may choose to advertise on the website to increase their visibility to potential customers. We like that this rigorous selection process is in place as it does help vet some of the less helpful attorneys.
Ratings are limited to individual lawyers
The customer ratings for Expertise are pretty solid. The company has an "A” rating from the Better Business Bureau and shows a history of responding to and resolving customer ratings and concerns. However, in terms of third-party ratings, there really aren't many reviews out there to judge Expertise. On Trustpilot, there is only 1 review for Expertise and this is from the side of a company owner trying to get listed. On the other hand, many of the individual lawyers on Expertise are rated 5 out of 5 stars from third-party sites like Google Reviews. So, if you're worried about reputation, it might be better to check individual listings rather than the site as a whole.
Competitive option for third-party approved businesses
Overall, Expertise is a reliable and trustworthy resource for connecting customers with professional services, including DUI lawyers. Their rigorous selection process ensures that only qualified and licensed professionals are listed on their website, which is why they have earned a high rating with the Better Business Bureau. While the lack of third-party reviews for Expertise is a drawback, the high ratings on individual lawyer listings provided on Expertise offer feedback from sites like Google Reviews to make up for it. Overall, Expertise is a good website for those seeking professional services, including DUI lawyers.
Thomson Reuters Corporation's legal services database, FindLaw, offers a range of legal services, including DUI/DWI case representation. Their DUI page provides legal support across all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Provides easy access to legal information
FindLaw's objective is to offer easily accessible legal information to the general public, enabling individuals to make informed legal decisions and locate trustworthy legal support. The company aims to challenge the perception that obtaining quality online legal information is costly and complex by providing it conveniently to all. The site promises to be one of the most prominent databases for finding successful lawyers online today.
Lots of individual results
To get started with FindLaw, individuals can search by state, major city, or current location. The website will display a list of DUI lawyers practicing in the area in a convenient scrollable format. We used FindLaw's search feature for our location and found an impressive list of lawyers (131 individual results). Although FindLaw has a useful filtering system that allows users to sort lawyers based on reviews, experience, and other factors, it's important to note that some of the top listings customers will see are ads. So, you may have to scroll down past those to get to the attorneys that are related to the filters you choose.
Could use more info on listings
When it comes to the listings on FindLaw, all the necessary information is readily available for each attorney. This includes the name of the law firm as well as key information you might need to narrow your selections like whether or not a firm offers free consultations, past client reviews, and links to the law firm's site. Some of the listings that are ads also provide phone numbers and email contact information on the listing itself. If you click on a specific listing, you can see a variety of additional information, including a short intro for the law firms and the areas of practice they specialize in to assist with the particulars of your DUI case.
Self-help section focused on business
If you're looking for extra legal help, but you don't want to shell out right away, you can also check out the "Self-help resources” page where individuals can look through legal technology, forms, and services to support your general legal needs. However, there aren't any specific self-help sections for DUI/DWI cases, which is disappointing. The self-help information on FindLaw is mostly for those looking for financial help or exploring the legalities of starting or owning a business.
"A+” parent company, but no reviews for FindLaw
In terms of customer feedback, FindLaw itself doesn't have a presence on the BBB. If you look at the parent company, though, the Thomson Reuters Corporation has an impressive "A+” rating. Unfortunately in terms of third-party reviews, there isn't much out there on FindLaw. With only a handful of total reviews and many of those ranging around 1.5-2 stars out of 5, there isn't any particular positive feedback for FindLaw. While some of the individual lawyers on FindLaw do have reviews, many don't have any at all, forcing customers to do their own research to decide which DUI lawyer is most likely to help them with their legal concerns, which isn't ideal.
Good, but not great
While FindLaw is a solid option for those seeking legal information and services, it doesn't stand out in any categories other than the wide variety of lawyers across the US and US territories. It has decent search features and filters, though the listing could be more detailed, and while it's well-rated from the BBB there aren't many third-party reviews that support the rating. Overall, FindLaw is a middle-ground service that is good but not great, compared to some of the other businesses in this review. But, if you want to explore a wide database, FindLaw is still worth checking out.
Slightly different from some of the other websites in this review, Super Lawyers utilizes a yearly, state-specific process to choose attorneys who can be listed in their database. This process is completed by combining peer nominations and evaluations with independent research. Each nominee is assessed based on 12 factors that measure their professional accomplishments and recognition by their peers. In terms of the offerings for DUI assistance, it's easy to search Super Lawyers by topic and DUIs are no exception.
Competitive listings, but no filters
To get started, all customers have to do is enter the topic they're interested in and their general location to find local lawyers who specialize in DUIs. Differing from some other websites, Super Lawyers doesn't have a dedicated page for DUI/DWI concerns. Instead, the search requires you to add that detail when you begin filtering lawyers on the website. For our local search, Super Lawyers turned up 35 different legal representatives that handle DUIs in our area. This is a competitive number compared to other referral services in this review. However, with no additional filters available, you'll have to spend time looking through the listings page by page, which may be frustrating for some customers.
Minimalistic listing design
In terms of the listings and their key information, the Super Lawyers' design is a little minimal. They don't offer at-a-glance star ratings, and the listings only offer the lawyer's name and a very short blurb about the firm. This can be a real problem for customers who want to skim through listings for the details they need. Many other sites in this review offer comprehensive details on listings, which causes Super Lawyers to be much less competitive overall. While customers can click on the profile to view more, this process could take a long time to vet each individual lawyer for your particular DUI case. They do offer services in all 50 states, which is a bonus.
Advisory board for quality assurance
One benefit of working with Super Lawyers is that they are run by an Advisory Board that manages the legal information and blogs and helps determine which lawyers are allowed through the vetting system. The Super Lawyers Advisory Board is comprised of a talented group of legal professionals from across the country. With their extensive knowledge of their respective regions' legal landscape, the Advisory Board offers valuable perspectives on the legal industry and practice available to everyone who uses the site through legal Q&A to free-access legal articles.
No review presence but "A+” rated
In terms of company reputation, there is almost no review presence for Super Lawyers. The parent company Thomson Reuters Corporation does have an "A+” rating, however, which is a benefit. The only third-party site that has reviews for Super Lawyers is Facebook. Yet, the reviews here are very positive with an average rating of 4.8 stars out of five. On the other hand, there were just under 50 reviews at the time we checked, which isn't ideal. But the few customers who are interested in Super Lawyers seem very happy with their experience.
Decent mid-ground option for variety
Without some of the key benefits like review systems for lawyers on the site, a compare tool or even more detailed search filters, Super Lawyers just can't stand out against some of our top competitors. But overall, it isn't a bad service. In fact, a few reviewers on Facebook say that the service is great. That plus their "A+” rating and detailed vetting system means we still recommend Super Lawyers as a potential service to find a DUI lawyer for your case. All things considered, while it may not be the best option for everyone, Super Lawyers is certainly worth considering for anyone seeking a skilled and experienced DUI lawyer.
While Thumbtack is designed for helping people manage their home life in general, they do offer a legal section of the site. This section covers DUI lawyers and cases, and helps customers connect with a lawyer who practices in the areas they need most. Rather than having a dedicated DUI page, Thumbtack offers a search bar that allows you to select DUI lawyers specifically and begin finding lawyers near your area. This option is not as comprehensive as many in this review, but it's not as surprising as they don't specialize specifically in law or DUI law.
Dive right in with the search
To get started at Thumbtack, you type the kind of pro you're looking to hire in their landing-page search bar and add your zip code. Immediately Thumbtack provides you with a list of local lawyers. For this review, we put in our local city and found 6 DUI lawyers available at Thumbtack. While this isn't a wide variety compared to other services in this review, the site is designed for a variety of businesses, not just law, so if you're looking for a more detailed list of lawyers, customers may need to look elsewhere.
Not a lot of DUI lawyers here
In terms of information and at-a-glance details, Thumbtack does a great job at showing customers the scoop on individual lawyer listings. The listings provide details like star ratings for individual lawyers, whether or not remote services are provided, and whether or not attorneys have licenses in particular areas of practice. The listings will also tell you how many times individual professionals have been hired as well as the average response time for each individual, so customers can get an idea of how soon they might hear back from a DUI lawyer. Other notes include a badge for "great value” for options that offer particularly competitive pricing. Additionally, the "starting price” for every lawyer is visible on the listing.
Site isn't focused on legal
If you're looking for a site that provides legal documents or articles, though, you might need to keep searching. Since Thumbtack is for a variety of businesses, there isn't a space for legal articles on the site. Instead, the company focuses solely on connecting you with your next professional, so most of the effort on the site went into making sure the professional listings were easily comprehensible at a glance.
Good ratings overall for customer satisfaction
In terms of customer feedback, Thumbtack has a decent reputation overall. With an "A” rating from the Better Business Bureau as well as an average rating of 3 stars out of 5 across third-party review sites, the company is competitive with customer feedback. However, it doesn't stand out as a top-rated option in this review. Thumbtack does have the most reviews of any site we evaluated, especially on Trustpilot where it had over 4,000 reviews when we checked. Customers who enjoyed using Thumbtack noted that the customer service was top-notch and they liked being able to see customer ratings on individual professional listings. Further, customers praised the responsiveness of the professionals on the website and felt that Thumbtack provided an overall high-class selection.
Pros aren't as happy as customers
On the other hand, customers who didn't enjoy Thumbtack as much were from the professional side. Pros noted that they had trouble with customers "ghosting” them or not feeling supported by Thumbtack on their side. This could mean that the lack of variety for individual lawyers is due to professionals not enjoying the experience as much as customers. So, if you want to find a wide variety of DUI lawyers you may need to look elsewhere.
Good for finding professionals, just not lawyers
Overall, while Thumbtack is a great platform for connecting with a variety of professionals, it just doesn't cut it for finding a DUI lawyer. The platform's sub-section for law and DUI lawyers is slim and doesn't cover the majority of options available on other sites. Although individual listings provide helpful at-a-glance details, and the overall business is well-rated by the BBB and users, we can't recommend it for finding a DUI lawyer. For this reason, it's rated 2 stars in this review. However, Thumbtack is still a great choice for connecting with professionals for a variety of needs outside of DUI cases.
Avvo is a legal services provider that was established by a lawyer who wanted to make legal advice more accessible to people. Avvo, which is part of the Martindale brand family, offers a variety of services including legal help with DUI/DWI cases. On their DUI page, Avvo offers legal assistance in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia with practice expertise in Criminal Defense, Speeding and Traffic Tickets, Personal Injury, and Car Accidents.
Search is limited
To find a Lawyer with Avvo, you can search by your state, search by a major city, or insert your current location. The site will automatically pull up the practicing DUI lawyers near you in a convenient scrolling list. When we used Avvo to search for DUI lawyers in our targeted suburban area, there weren't many options: only 5 lawyers were available for DUIs. While Avvo has a great filtering system that lets you sort lawyers by reviews, years of experience, and other factors, the small number of results made it feel a little limited.
Use the filters
We were initially disappointed with the limited result list for our area. Once we started using the filters, however, additional lawyers showed up, as the system pulled from a larger pool than those physically closest to us. Helpfully, these new listings, despite being further away, still serviced customers in our local area. So, you may need to play with the filters to see that there are more lawyers at Avvo than there initially appear to be.
Key information on lawyer listings
Avvo does a great job of presenting the most important information about each attorney in the results list. They include reviews from past clients that show how many stars individual attorneys have received from their clients. Avvo also has its own rating system which is calculated based on the lawyer's profile information and data collected from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals. The rating is higher for attorneys who claim their profiles and provide Avvo with more information regarding their experience, work history, education, peer endorsements, associations, awards, publications, and speaking engagements. Unfortunately, in our local search, only one lawyer had the highest possible rating from Avvo and free consultations, which made the local lawyers feel even more limited.
Ask a lawyer without paying
One benefit of using the Avvo site is that the company offers a free "Ask a Lawyer" feature that allows users to search nearly 15 million legal questions and answers. Users can get answers from experienced lawyers within hours, making it a great platform to get preliminary legal advice about DUI/DWI cases. There are four easily-accessible articles available right on the DUI/DWI landing page to help customers inform themselves about DUI case basics before even talking to a lawyer.
Only "claimed” profiles are shown
It's worth noting that Avvo has a smaller results list because they only list lawyers who have claimed their profiles and actively participate in the Avvo community. So, there may be more DUI lawyers in your area who aren't listed on Avvo. Since Avvo sells advertising for lawyers, it's very possible that many of your local DUI/DWI attorneys aren't listed on Avvo, which makes it less useful than other legal databases in this review. Nonetheless, Avvo is a decent option for those looking for preliminary legal advice or detailed information about DUI lawyers.
F-rated customer service
In terms of user feedback, Avvo falls to the bottom of the pack. With an "F” rating from the BBB as well as an average star rating of 1.4 out of 5 stars. Across three different third-party review sites Avvo was repeatedly low-rated with hundreds of individual reviews to back up those ratings. Customers complained about Avvo promoting "bad attorneys” and others noted that Avvo doesn't seem to allow "bad” reviews of attorneys on the reviews portion of the website. One reviewer noted that "Avvo exists for lawyers, not for people seeking help,” which stands out as a significant point, especially for customers looking to get help with a DUI/DWI case.
Last resort for legal help
Overall, Avvo is not the ideal legal service provider for customers seeking help with their DUI/DWI cases. While Avvo offers a platform for preliminary legal advice and detailed information about DUI lawyers, its search function is limited, and the results may not be as comprehensive as other legal databases. Furthermore, with customer reviews that suggest Avvo prioritizes the interests of lawyers over those seeking help, it becomes a questionable service for customers in need of legal help with their DUI. With this in mind, Avvo should be used as a last resort, and customers should consider other legal service providers with better ratings and more positive reviews to ensure that they receive the best possible support for their DUI/DWI case.
Some of the best lawyer referral services provide a variety of tools to help you make informed decisions. For example, some services provide client reviews and ratings, so you can get an idea of how each attorney performs compared to others in your area. Others provide information on fees or the number of times a lawyer has been hired to give you an idea of which attorneys are popular for supporting clients with DUI cases. This way you can ensure you get the best person for your DUI who can support you the whole way through.
Getting a qualified DUI lawyer on board quickly is crucial in building a strong defense and preparing for your court date. Additionally, it's important to know how many lawyers are available in your area and how many you'll potentially be matched with. If you're in a less populated area, this could be a major concern. Going with a good lawyer referral service can help make this process much easier as you can narrow down your options by location and with a variety of filters to make sure your lawyer practices in key areas of DUI cases like criminal defense, speeding and traffic tickets, personal injury, and car accidents.
While getting a DUI can be a big deal, finding your attorney doesn't have to be. To get your best chance at a DUI defense, looking through a lawyer referral service is your best bet for finding the best attorney for your needs. To help you get started with finding legal support we've put together a list of key things to look for:
To help you find your best chance for legal support, Top Consume Reviews has reviewed and ranked some of the best DUI lawyer referral services available today. We hope this information helps you find the right attorney to represent you in your upcoming case.
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