What a License Restoration Guarantee Really Means
Does a license restoration guarantee actually protect you, or is it just a marketing phrase? It is real, and it matters. A genuine guarantee commits the firm to represent you before the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office of Hearings and Administrative Oversight (OHAO) — at no additional attorney fee until you win.
At Jeffrey Randa & Associates, our Michigan driver’s license restoration attorneys have always stood by that promise. Part of what makes that promise possible is that we only take on qualified, genuinely sober clients who meet the state’s eligibility requirements.
What the Guarantee Promises
The word “guarantee” gets used loosely in most marketing. When it comes to Michigan driver’s license restoration, it is not one we use lightly. The commitment from Jeffrey Randa & Associates is direct and provable:
“Our firm guarantees that we will win your Michigan driver’s license restoration or clearance case the first time around, or else we will continue to represent you before the Michigan Secretary of State Office of Hearings and Administrative Oversight (OHAO) without further attorney fees, until we do.”
That means one fee and no walking away. The guarantee applies when the client provides complete and truthful information and the firm’s other stated conditions are met, as detailed on the guarantee page.
In the unlikely event that the first OHAO hearing does not produce a win, the firm stays on the case at no additional attorney cost, regardless of how long that takes. Fortunately, we have never had to go back a third time — but the truth is, we count on not having to go back at all. That makes us as invested in winning the first time around as our clients are.
Note that our guarantee covers both in-state restoration cases and out-of-state clearance appeals.
This is a commitment about the quality and persistence of our representation, not a statement that any outcome is predetermined. Michigan’s OHAO makes every final decision based on the evidence submitted and the record from the hearing. What the guarantee ensures is that we will not leave a client without representation if the first result is a denial.
Why a Guarantee Changes How a Firm Operates
A firm that guarantees results has a direct financial reason to win every case the first time. There is no additional revenue from a repeat hearing — only additional cost and time invested at the firm’s expense. That alignment of interests shapes how cases are selected, prepared, and presented at every stage.
Jeffrey Randa & Associates handles about 200 license restoration and clearance matters per year, and the first-time win rate is nearly perfect. That volume and that record are only possible because the firm has spent decades learning exactly what OHAO hearing officers need to see and how to build a case that meets that standard from the start. We have concentrated on DUI/OWI defense, license restoration, and related criminal matters for more than 30 years — not as one component of a general practice, but as the firm’s central focus.
Jeff also completed a formal post-graduate program in addiction studies, a background that directly shapes how every restoration case is prepared. Hearing officers evaluate whether a petitioner has a genuine, stable understanding of their relationship with alcohol and other substances. We put that knowledge to work every day — it’s what allows us to prepare cases at a depth that legal experience alone can’t match.
Who the Guarantee Applies To
The guarantee does not apply to everyone who contacts the firm. It applies only to clients we accept and for whom we file a case. We screen each person carefully before taking the case because the guarantee commits us to the matter, and we must be confident the client has the foundation to win.
The most critical requirement to win a license appeal is genuine sobriety. We only represent clients who are completely and verifiably sober — no exceptions. People who are still drinking or using substances are not candidates for representation, because no level of legal preparation can overcome that before an OHAO hearing officer.
The state typically requires at least one year of continuous abstinence before an appeal will succeed. In the real world, that’s not enough to win. We generally look for at least 18 months of sobriety before agreeing to file an appeal — and longer is always better.
It is worth knowing that license restoration — the formal OHAO hearing process — applies specifically to licenses that have been revoked, most often due to multiple OWI convictions. Our guarantee covers the formal restoration and clearance hearing process for revoked licenses.
This is different from a suspended license reinstatement, which is a separate process usually handled by waiting for a specific period of time to pass and then paying the state’s reinstatement fee.
Plenty of the people we represent for restoration have either previously tried a “do-it-yourself” license appeal or used some lawyer who claimed to “do” these cases. Often enough, our job is to fix what went wrong and make sure things are done right the second time.
The Guarantee Applies Statewide and to Former Michigan Residents
It’s worth noting that our guarantee does not depend on where the client currently lives. OHAO hearings are conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams, which means geography has never been a factor in what hearing officers evaluate or decide. We handle cases for Michigan residents across the state and clearance appeals for people who have since moved to another state — or even another country — but who need to clear a Michigan hold from their driving record.
The guarantee covers clearance appeals on the same terms as in-state restoration cases, whether the client is in Oakland County, elsewhere in Michigan, or lives anywhere else on the planet.
Find Out If You Qualify for a Guaranteed Restoration Case
If you are sober and ready to pursue your license restoration or clearance appeal, the first step is a free, confidential phone consultation. Our staff will help you understand whether you meet the eligibility requirements. If you do, we can move forward right away — and if not, we’ll be glad to explain what you need to do to get there.
We are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 586-465-1980, with an after-hours answering service for calls outside those hours. You can also reach us through the contact form or chat box on our website. For more on the process and what we look for in a case, visit our Michigan driver’s license restoration page.
