Summary Considerations

Up to this point, I have talked about how cases are prepared, and what it takes to win one. I have spoken as if the role of the lawyer transforms a case from a possible loser to a sure winner. In a sense, that is true. It is true, however, only if the case has the potential to be a winner in the first place.

As I noted earlier, I am in business to make money, not send it away. I want business. The last thing I want to do, though, is to get a reputation for taking on any case that will pay. I have worked very hard to establish and maintain a reputation for presenting cases where the client is able to prove they deserve their license back. I win over 98% of the cases I accept on the first try. I GUARANTEE that I will win any case I accept the first time around, and, if I don’t (and I have very little experience losing), that I will continue to Represent my Client before the Secretary of State, without further Legal Fee, until I get them back on the road. To do that, I have to tell a fair number of potential clients that they are not ready yet, and that their chances of winning are not good enough for me to get involved. I’m not rude about it; I’ll always have load of suggestions for what they should start doing to make themselves ready. It’s just that I want those Hearing Officers, when they see my name on a file, to think something like “Oh, here comes Randa again, probably with another good case,” and not “Here comes Randa again, let’s see what he brought along this time; That guy will take anyone’s money and give it a go.”

I once had a boss, when I was a “baby lawyer,” who taught me that it takes a whole career to build and maintain a good reputation, but it takes only one stupid move to destroy it. I live and work each day by that motto.

So when a potential client calls, I probably have as many questions for them as they do for me. Maybe even more. But when I tell a person they have a shot at getting their license back, I mean a real, bona-fide honest chance, and not a longshot.

In terms of fees, I know that, at $4500 per License Appeal, mine are above the middle point. Of course, you can find those who will do the job for less, but I think one of the first things you find out about those firms is that they start by simply telling you to go and get a Substance Abuse Evaluation done. I start by telling you how important it is that we begin by preparing you for it. Remember, that Evaluation is the very foundation of your appeal, so proper case preparation starts even before you take that first step. Cutting corners to cut costs is not the way to win an Appeal as complicated and technical as a Driver’s License Restoration. And aside from a few dollars difference, the real cost is in losing your Appeal and having to wait a year to come back and try again. I really don’t think you should select your Lawyer for a license appeal on a “low bidder” basis.

On the other hand, anyone wanting more than $5000 is, in my view, asking too much. It doesn’t matter a bit to the D.A.A.D. Hearing Officer if your lawyer has won ten high-profile murder cases in a row; either you prove your license appeal case by clear and convincing evidence, or you don’t. There is no “benefit of the doubt” in these cases. Nor is there, in my view, $5000 worth of work.

You will note that there is no “FAQ” section to the License Restoration part of my web site. I think I have covered most of the common questions in my various sections. If you have other questions, then by all means, call me with them.

There are many things that even the most comprehensive web site just cannot cover about these cases. Thus, I invite your questions. My consultations are done over the phone, during regular business hours, and are always completely confidential. It’s good to call around and check out your options. I believe strongly in being a well-informed consumer. I think you owe it to yourself, however, to at least call me, as well. I’ll invite you to call back with any questions you may have, or even to compare notes with something another lawyer told you. I’ll never “push” for you to make an appointment to get things started. I simply don’t work that way.

I have published more than 100 highly-detailed and informational articles about the License Restoration Process, both for those in Michigan and for those Out-of-State. Those articles are on my Blog, in the Driver’s License Restoration section. I have written more about License Appeals than you can find, cumulatively, on the internet. I have won more License cases in the last few years than almost any other Lawyer has handled in their whole career.

What I will do is promise to give you an honest evaluation of your case. I’ll tell you what I really think, based upon my years of considerable experience handling license appeals. And if I become your lawyer, I promise to try and bring about the best result humanly and legally possible. I always say that no lawyer can ever do more, and I’ll never do less. And, given my guarantee, if yuo hire me, you know that you WILL be getting back on the road.