Question 1

What Are The Benefits of Hiring a Traffic Lawyer?

Accepted Answer

In North Carolina, pleading guilty to a traffic ticket can cause serious negative consequences. Some individuals choose not to hire an attorney because they do not understand the benefits of having legal representation. If you pay a ticket as it stands, you are pleading guilty to the original charge. Depending on the traffic offense and your driving history, pleading guilty could cause an increase in your insurance premiums, points on your license, and in some cases a suspension of your driver license. 
 
The costs associated with hiring an attorney and any potential court costs are typically cheaper than the overall long term costs or risks of pleading guilty to a traffic ticket. In most cases you will not have to attend court, your attorney can attend for you. They will work to get your traffic violations dismissed or reduced to a lesser offense. 
 
It is important to remember that the officer and other court officials such as the District Attorney (D.A) are not able to give you proper legal advice as to how a violation could affect you. They do not have access to your full DMV driving history to determine if you have other traffic matters on your record that will cause suspensions or increases in your insurance. Unless you are experience in knowing all NC traffic laws and rules, it is best not to represent yourself in court. The only person that can give you proper legal advice about your matter is your traffic attorney.

Question 2

Will I Have to Appear in Court For My Traffic Ticket?

Accepted Answer

Once retained, most clients will not need to attend court for their traffic matter. Most tickets will be negotiated in the administrative traffic court room 1130, which allows traffic waivers. Our traffic package includes this waiver of appearance form, so that our attorney can attend court on your behalf.  Typically clients only need to attend court if they have a serious traffic offense or if they wish to hold a trial in their case. Our office would let you know if your appearance is needed in court.

Question 3

What Are Court Costs and How Much Will I Owe?

Accepted Answer

Court costs or fines are fees set by the state of North Carolina for certain traffic violations and plea reductions. It is important to note that these costs are separate from any attorney's fees to represent you in court. Our office strives to keep our fees low and affordable to offset the overall cost of hiring an attorney to fight your traffic ticket. 
 
If your traffic ticket is reduced to a lesser offense, you would not pay the fine listed on the original ticket. The original ticket cost will be replaced with the new case reduction cost. For some cases the final court fee may be higher than the fine listed on the original ticket, which is not a bad thing. The higher court fines are associated with the better court reductions, such as Improper Equipment, which does not carry any license or insurance points. Only certain traffic cases are eligible for certain case reductions and therefore court costs can vary. 
 
Your court costs typically do not have to be paid right away. You are usually given up to 40 days after the conclusion of your case to make payment to the courthouse. At the conclusion of your case, our staff will provide you with specific instructions on how to make your court payment.

Question 4

How Do I Pay My Court Costs?

Accepted Answer

Court related fines and fees are referred to as court costs. Attorney's fees and court costs are seperated. Attorneys fees are for their representation and are paid upfront. Court costs are paid at the conclusion of your case to the courthouse or through the State's court website. Once your case is resolved, our office will notify you by email with the amount of court costs you owe and instructions on how to pay them. Court payments are typically due within 40 days of your final court date. Our office provides estimates of the potential court related fees in our hiring emails so that you will be aware of the potential overall costs of your case.

Question 5

What if I Forget To Pay My Court Costs?

Accepted Answer

It is important that you pay court costs on time. Failure to do so could result in late fees and possibly a suspension of your license until the fee is paid. Our office sends an email and text regarding your court payment instructions so that you do not miss it. You are responsible for payment of your court fines by the due date provided in our instructional email. Our office does not monitor your court fine payment since it is not paid to our Firm. In the event you forget to pay your court fine, the DMV will send you a notice by mail. The DMV letter will include a warning with the potential suspension date of your license if the fine is not paid before that date. If you have any questions or issues regarding your court cost payment you may contact our office for assistance.

Question 6

What is a "Failure to Appear" or FTA?"

Accepted Answer

A failure to appear (FTA) may be issued if you do not attend your court date and an attorney does not appear on your behalf. A FTA adds additional court fines to your case and will often result in the suspension of your license until corrected. If may be possible to remove a FTA from your record and to reverse the negative consequences. A traffic attorney is typically needed for the process of filing the request to remove or "strike" the FTA. It is important that you do not pay any FTA fines without consulting with an attorney first.

If you received a FTA on a traffic violation, contact our office to discuss the options available to you and an estimate for our services.

Question 7

What if I Have a "Commercial Drivers License" or CDL?"

Accepted Answer

Our office is experienced with the implications involving CDL drivers and the types of reductions that are needed. Many CDL drivers are at risk of losing their job or license with certain traffic violations. Contact our office today to discuss your traffic matter and options that are available to you as a CDL driver.

Question 8

How Do I Get My License Back if it is Suspended or Revoked?

Accepted Answer

There are various reasons in which a person's license could be revoked or suspended. For most individuals it is due to traffic violations or the non-payment of court costs. Our office charges a nominal fee to pull your North Carolina driving record to determine what is needed to restore your NC driving privileges. Please note that without a driving record we cannot provide the most accurate information as to the steps needed and costs involved to restore your license. 
 
It is extremely important that you consult an experienced traffic attorney before paying any outstanding court fines or tickets. Outstanding traffic citations must be handled in the appropriate order to reduce or eliminate any negative consequences. Our License Restoration services may be able to save you further suspensions and money. Some clients may be eligible for a DMV hearing or a limited driving privilege.

Experienced in Criminal & Traffic Defense

101 N McDowell St. Suite 206 Charlotte, NC 28204

5-Star Rated Law Firm

Traffic Tickets - DMV Hearings - License Suspensions

Serving Mecklenburg County, NC Only

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BRANDON ROSEMAN
Managing Attorney

Angeleigh
Paralegal

Dyanie
Legal Assistant

ERIN

Office Manager

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