If you have already made one mistake don't make another.  Hire the best legal team you can.  Wisner & Wisner, LLP.   Our promise: No other attorney, no other law firm, will fight harder or smarter to defend you. 

Things to avoid:

NO CREDENTIALS.  Be wary of any law firm that does not post the credentials of their lawyers on the law firm web site.  While a yellow page ad or radio ad may list a lawyer or law firm often they do not list credentials.  Check the web site.  If there are no credentials on the website be suspect.  The lawyer or lawyers may have very little experience.  One familiar law firm claiming to be experienced has a partner who became a lawyer last year.  Ask to see the resume of the lawyers who will be handling your case.

BAIT AND SWITCH.  Some law firms have been successful with the "bait and switch" by substituting the experience of one lawyer for another.  The "big name" who interviews you is occupied with writing, teaching or pursuing other lofty ideals but actually spends very little time in the courtroom.  Hire a partner to handle your case.  "Bait and switch firms" have associates handle your case.  Simply put, if you hire a lawyer who is not willing to go to court with you then you are speaking to the wrong lawyer.  You wouldn't want a medical assistant to handle your surgery when the doctor is available but not willing.

ASSOCIATE DU JOUR representation.  Your file is handed off from one associate to another every time you appear in court.  We call this "associate du jour representation" because you are really getting the associate of the day.  Quite frankly, the new associate may not be as familiar with you, your case and your needs.   The lawyer who represented you in court recalls the details of your case.  But your file is handled by another lawer unfamiliar with the details in a later court appearance.  You wouldn't want a different associate any more than you want a different doctor for each visit.

LAWYERS TOO BUSY FOR YOU.  How busy is the law office? Is the lawyer involved in too many activities?  Is the lawyer busy building a better resume?  Is the lawyer only willing to talk with you on the phone but never willing to appear in court?  How much time is he/she spending on your case?  Is the partner unavailable due to "time constraints?"  Ask yourself is he/she unavailable or unwilling?  These are signs you are at the wrong law firm.  If your doctor were too busy to see you then you might consider finding another doctor, right?

RESULTS FROM ANOTHER ERA.  Does the law firm tout results that they achieved more than a decade ago?  The DWI laws have changed.  And plea agreements have all but dried up.  Is the law firm representing that they achieve the same results that they did more than a decade ago? Check the source.  

THE TEAM WISNER APPROACH

We have a team approach to representation.  Each week our team of lawyers and paraprofessionals meet to discuss cases and what needs to get done. While you may have multiple people working on your file you will not have a different associates appearing in court.  You will be represented in court by our most experienced lawyers.  At Wisner & Wisner, LLP we provide a superior level of service.

Things to look for:

Consider REPUTATION, EXPERIENCE and RESULTS as the hallmarks of choosing the best lawyer for you. 

REPUTATION

Reputation is more than advertising.  While most lawyers advertise in the media, reputation in the community remains the best way to find a DWI defense lawyer.  Ask police or judges who they would recommend.  Ask a family lawyer who he or she would recommend.  Then interview the best lawyers.  Reputation is more than a name. 

Meet with the lawyer who goes to court.   Some law firms lure clients in with the name of a reputable attorney but will charge a client five or six times more money to appear in court with you.  Instead, a less reputable, less experienced, lawyer meets you in the court room.   Don't meet with the head of the firm.  Meet the lawyer who will be representing you in court.  What is his or her reputation?

How many years has the lawyer defended DWI clients?  If an associate is going to appear in court with you ask for a copy of his/her resume.  How many years has the associate attorney been defending DWI clients?  Todd J.W. Wisner has been defending DWI clients for fifteen years.  

Percentage of cases handled.  Ask the lawyer what percentage of the law firm files does he/she handle in court? 

Reduce fees.  Will the fee be discounted if the less reputable, less experienced, lawyer comes to court?  If so, what kind of representation are you getting?  Does the reduced fee equate to less of a reputation?  Less experience?  Could you get better representation for that fee? 

Better Business Bureau.  Is the law firm a member of the Better Business Bureau?  The Better Business Bureau has standards that its members must abide by and they keep track of complaints filed against businesses.

Grievances.  Has a partner or associate had grievances filed against him or her for bad conduct? Has the lawyer been sanctioned for behavior?  This may be part of a negative reputation the firm would like you to not know about.  Ask for details.  Check with the bar association.

Employment history.  Where was the lawyer previously employed?  Ask the lawyer where he/she was previously employed.  Would his/her prior employer likely provide a favorable recommendation?  Was the lawyer terminated unfavorably?  Ask for details.  Check with the bar association. 

Arrests.  Has the lawyer ever been arrested for DWI or another charge?  Like grievances this may be part of the reputation the firm would like you to not know about.  Ask for details.  Check with the bar association.

Ask a judge, district attorney or police officer.  Ask when was the last time they had a case with the lawyer.  Regardless of reputation, be warry if the prosecutor or office has never seen the lawyer in a courtroom.

Our lawyers have received many accolades that we would be happy to share with you.  We have a proven record of successful DWI defense and represent the best of what a law firm should be.  Hon. Donald J. Wisner and Todd J.W. Wisner are honest hardworking lawyers who have an excellent reputation.  We instill hard work and dedication to our clients with all associates and staff.  We aren't too busy to represent our clients.

EXPERIENCE

For most drivers doing without a license simply is not an option. Having a criminal record is unthinkable. Finding the best lawyer to represent you can be a challenge. Often the "family lawyer" has some experience handling minor criminal matters but limited experience in DWI Defense. New York's DWI laws can be complex and continue to evolve.

Check credentials.  Some lawyers might have you believe they are the best at what they do when they have only defended DWI clients for three years or less.  Ask when the lawyer's practice became devoted to DWI defense work.

Find out the experience of the associate attorney.  Of paramount importance is who represents YOU in court.  Ask about the level of experience.  Be wary of any firm that will quote you a fee over the telephone without knowing the details of your case.  Understand that a low fee may mean that the least experienced lawyer in the firm may be the one sent to represent you

If the law firm intends to send an associate to appear in court what are his/her credentials?  Be wary of any law firm that does not list the age and experience of the attorneys on their web site.

Ask about DWI trial experience.  When was his or her last DWI trial?  How many DWI jury trials has he or she had?  How many felony DWI trials has he or she handled?  Next, ask how up to date is the lawyer on DWI law?  Is the lawyer a member of any recognized organizations?  How familiar is the lawyer with breath testing or standardized field sobriety testing?

It's not essential that the lawyer publish his works.  In fact, consider the amount of time publication diverts from representing clients.  You want a lawyer who is very knowledgeable and uses his experience to represent you.

Donald J. Wisner has been a trial lawyer, Chief Trial Prosecutor, County Court Judge, Supreme Court Justice and Supreme Court Appellate Justice for thirty eight years.  He has also been the trial lawyer, trial judge or appellate judge in over a hundred DWI reported cases.  Todd J.W. Wisner has been successfully defending DWI defendants for over twelve years.  He is certified in field sobriety testing, breath testing, and has handled hundreds of DWI cases.  Moreover, Todd J.W. Wisner arguably tries more DWI cases each year than any single lawyer in Western New York. 

RESULTS

Does the lawyer get results when defending DWI cases?

What is his/her record of success? If an associate is going to represent you in court what are his/her performance figures?

At Wisner & Wisner, LLP our rate of success is well known in the legal community. We invite you to review our recent results and client testimonials.   And our winning results are a matter of public record.  We would be happy to share with you our performance figures.  We back up our claims with excellent legal representation each month.