Michigan Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
In just about any situation where you’re going to hire someone for anything, whether it’s for a home remodeling job, a new tattoo, or a lawyer, you should always make sure you come away with a satisfactory answer to the question, “Why should I hire you?” As a Michigan driver’s license restoration lawyer, this article will focus on my answer to that question. Once in a while, I’ll get an email from someone inquiring about how much I charge for a license appeal and just by their asking that very question, I know they haven’t read very much of what I’ve published. Whatever else, I do not compete, or even think about “competing” with anyone in the license reinstatement field on the basis of price. For as much as I can say about my practice, the simple truth is that to be the best, you have continually work hard to be the best. You have to be more valuable to a client than anyone else, but you also have be much more than just someone who merely brings “added value” to the table.
To start, I guarantee to win every license appeal case I take. Before I’ll take a case, however, a person must have genuinely quit drinking. Part of the reason that I’m good at what I do is that I have high standards, and I don’t bend them for money. I start with good materials – a sober client. The whole license appeal process is about making sure a person has completely removed alcohol from his or her life. It couldn’t matter less how much money a person is willing to pay; anyone laboring under the mistaken impression that it’s okay to have a drink once in a while is a million miles from being any kind of “sober,” much less the kind needed to get your license back.
I have the greatest staff in the legal world. Think that’s an exaggeration? Call my office and ask the person who answers your call anything about driver’s license restoration or clearances. We do this stuff every day, all day. The other day, I had to call the Michigan Secretary of State Administrative Hearing Office (AHS, formerly known as the DAAD) in Livonia, and when I asked my senior assistant for the number, instead of looking it up, she knew it by heart. Part of me being “more valuable” means that all a client has to do is be eligible to file a license appeal and be genuinely sober and we’ll take care of the rest. We handle the whole deal, from the substance abuse evaluation to the letters of support and everything in-between. The license appeal process is difficult by design, and it’s controlled by what I call “a million little rules.” When you hire me, you don’t have to worry about all that. When you’ve done all the work to get sober and are finally ready to get back on the road, you want things done right the first time. My office provides a one-stop way to do just that. About half of my clients come in from out of state, and my staff sets things up so that the person will come and see me first, for about 3 hours, and then go directly to the clinic I use in order to have his or her substance abuse evaluation completed, meaning that he or she can do everything in one day and be on the way back home before dinner time…
It sounds wonderful for a lawyer to talk about being “tough” and “aggressive,” but license appeals are won by attention to detail, not the dull smack of a hammer. This is where I am really unique, because I absolutely love this stuff. Do you seriously believe that there is a divorce lawyer who “loves” getting divorces? Sure, maybe he or she enjoys being successful, but how much love can you have for the process of undoing a marriage, or suing someone for a car accident, or defending a murderer? I have the best job in the world, because I get to work with people who are verifiably on the upswing in their lives and help them win back the ability to drive again. All my clients deserve their licenses back. The work of quitting drinking is hard. For just about everyone, the whole process of getting sober takes years, and the driver’s license is usually the last piece of the puzzle someone has left after all the major changes he or she has gone through. Helping them regain the freedom of driving again is morally good, personally satisfying work.
Don’t confuse my love for my job with simply winning back licenses. I have been a student of the processes of recovery for nearly 25 years. How people overcome an addiction fascinates me, and it holds such intrigue that I became formally involved in the study of these issues at the post-graduate, University level. I have a formal clinical education. I know the ins and outs of recovery processes most people have never heard about. This is one reason why I point out that not only is it NOT necessary to attend AA to win a license restoration case, but that more than half of my clients do not go – yet I guarantee a win.
Most everyone comes to a lawyer when things are going wrong. The practice of law is pretty much a miserable business, but not when it comes to license appeals. This is rewarding work. I get gushing, heartfelt thank-you notes every week, and I feel a hell of a lot better helping someone who has worked hard to get sober regain the ability to drive again than any lawyer could every feel about helping some rapist or murderer go free. There is just nothing like taking your passion and doing it for a living. It doesn’t feel like a job. To be completely honest, I’ve never really liked any of the jobs I’ve ever had, but this is totally different.
If you’ve been scrounging rides, and you are eligible to file a license appeal, the only remaining question is whether you’re genuinely sober or not. As I mentioned, “sobriety” is about having completely removed alcohol from your life. When you’ve made the rather dramatic transition from drinker to non-drinker, a lot more happens than just remaining abstinent. Getting sober involves adopting a sober lifestyle. In most cases, this means that the person in recovery will live in an alcohol-free home. Friends and family are supposed to provide support, not temptation. Beyond that, if you’re really sober, being around drinkers isn’t fun anyway. You either “get” this or not.
Some people develop a foundation for their sobriety through AA. The program is wonderful at helping people get sober, and many rely upon it to stay sober. Whether you’re in AA, have never been to a meeting, or used to go, but are now doing fine on your own now, the value of sayings like “one day at a time,” “avoid wet faces and wet places” and “I didn’t get in trouble every time I drank, but every time I got in trouble, I had been drinking” are universal. If you’re genuinely sober, then these make sense to you, and I can help you get back on the road.
Drivers’ license restoration and clearance appeals aren’t “work” to me. My enthusiasm can be found in my hundreds of articles on this blog, and my passion can be read between the lines every bit as much as in the words themselves. As you look for a lawyer to help you win back your license, always ask the question “Why should I hire you?” and never accept an answer that is anything less than clear. Whenever you’re ready to talk to me, call my office anytime Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 586-465-1980.