Driver’s License Restoration Attorney
There is no need to drive with a suspended or revoked license when we can help you restore your driving privileges. We have a track record of success at the first DLAD hearing.
Attorneys With a Track Record of Success Seeking Restoration of Driving Privileges
A person convicted of a drunk driving offense can expect a restricted or suspended/revoked driving license. A person with multiple drunk driving convictions (2 within seven years or 3 within ten years) will lose their driving privileges indefinitely. The only way to reinstate a revoked driver’s license is by winning an appeal at the Driver’s Appeal and Assessment Division (DAAD) of the Michigan Department of State. If a petitioner wins their appeal, driving privileges can be restored in full or restricted, depending on the circumstances. The process for appealing a revocation is exceptionally complicated and nothing a person should attempt to do on their own. An experienced Driver’s License Restoration Attorney increases the chances of winning dramatically.
A petitioner must prove several things to be successful and win a DLAD hearing, including:
- The alcohol and substance abuse problems, if any, are under control and are likely to remain under control,
- There is a low or minimal risk of driving drunk and drugged or repeating the abusive behavior,
- The person has the ability and motivation to drive safely and within the law, and
- The person has met the minimum period of abstinence.
These four requirements are the bare minimum. A petitioner must do much more for the best chances of winning the appeal!
What evidence needs to be presented at the DAAD to win?
Documentation needs to be collected and filed with the hearing request. It is a complicated process, and your best chance of success is with the help of an attorney who has substantial experience with winning at the DAAD.
Between three and seven letters must be submitted with the request for a hearing. The letters must attest that you are not consuming drugs or alcohol and have not done so for an extended period. The letters must be concise, specific, not melodramatic, consistent, and persuasive. It takes decades of experience to assist a client’s friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors with drafting letters that will be effective.
You must provide a substance abuse evaluation and a current drug test with a hearing request. Unfortunately, some substance abuse evaluators in Michigan have poor reputations, and their assessments have little to no weight. On the other hand, there are also very reputable evaluators whose’ reports have significant influence at the DAAD. A driver’s license restoration attorney with a track record of winning at the DAAD will know the right expert to hire for this type of hearing.
Finally, the petitioner must complete a form to request the hearing. While many lawyers leave their clients to their own devices when completing these forms, that can be a recipe for disaster. Hearing officers start with the presumption that they should deny the appeal for driving privileges. They scrutinize everything submitted and look for the slightest errors or discrepancies. A good attorney will take the time to assist the client in completing any necessary paperwork to avoid such mistakes.
It Costs More to Hire a Bargain DLAD Lawyer and Lose
A person going into a DLAD hearing without an attorney or an attorney who does not work in the DLAD frequently will almost always be unsuccessful at the first hearing. Although there is a cost of hiring a great attorney, it is less than the cost of losing the first hearing, not driving for at least another year, and hiring a better driver’s license restoration attorney the second time. Doing a “cost vs. benefit analysis” would clearly show that hiring an effective DLAD attorney the first time is less expensive than hiring a bargain lawyer and losing. The cost of not driving for another year and having to go back, again and again, is too much for anyone to handle. A reasonable fee to hire an excellent attorney who has the best chance of winning at the first hearing is money well spent.
The attorneys at LEWIS & DICKSTEIN, P.L.L.C., have decades of experience representing people at the Driver License Appeal Division. We understand the requirements and what the hearing officers are looking for and expecting. In Michigan, public transportation is not easily accessible. The need to drive is paramount. To have the best chance of restoring your driving privileges, you will want the expertise of LEWIS & DICKSTEIN, P.L.L.C. Our legal fees are fair and affordable, but reflect our decades of experience and track record of winning.
Call us today at (248) 263-6800 for a free consultation or complete an online Request for Assistance Form. We will contact you promptly and find a way to help you.
We will find a way to help you and, most importantly,
we are not afraid to win!
