What Can a Traffic Attorney in Fairfax, VA Do for You?

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Traffic cases. You may not think they are a big deal but they can get out of hand quickly. 

You can be charged at least $6 for every mile over the speed limit that you drive in Virginia. Once you reach a certain number, you can face more serious charges. 

If you find yourself in that situation, you need to hire a traffic attorney in Fairfax, VA. 

What can a Virginia traffic attorney do for you? Why do you need a traffic lawyer at all? 

These are the benefits of hiring a traffic ticket defense attorney. 

Reducing Points on Your License 

One of the penalties that come with getting a traffic ticket is that you will get points on your driver’s license. 

What does this mean? It means that depending on what you are charged with, you face the possibility of a driver’s license suspension. In Virginia, if you get 18 points in 12 months or 24 points in 24 months, your license will be suspended. 

With that in mind, it may be very beneficial to get the points on your license reduced. For that to happen, a court may have to alter your charge to a lesser charge. 

When it comes to traffic tickets, there are usually three different categories for points violations. There are six-point violations, which usually involved something like reckless driving or driving more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit. Or, you could simply be a repeat offender for lesser charges. 

Then, there are four-point violations. These tend to be for speeding 11-19 miles per hour or fewer over the speed limit plus failing to stop at certain points. 

Finally, there are three-point violations. These tend to be the most minor traffic violations. They can be anything from failing to put on your headlights to improper passing and going between 1-9 miles per hour over the speed limit. 

So, what can a traffic defense lawyer do? They can help reduce the number of points that you get on your driver’s license by pleading with the court to charge you for something that is say three points instead of four points. 

Save Money on Insurance 

If you get a traffic attorney that can plea your charges down, you could potentially save money on your car insurance. That is because if you get points on your driver’s license, your car insurance rates are going to go up.

The increase can stand as long as you have the points on your license. Some points stay on your license for over a decade, so it can mean years of paying higher premiums for your car insurance. 

You may not realize it at the time of going to court, but this could impact your financial situation there for the next few years. Some insurance companies report that a speeding ticket can increase your car insurance premiums by 15%. 

So, you need to understand what the stakes are in terms of handling your traffic ticket there. 

Negotiate a Plea Deal 

Next, your lawyer may be able to negotiate a plea deal for your case. As discussed above, it can be essential for you to have your charge lowered to one that costs you fewer points on your driver’s license. 

What a lawyer can do for you here is negotiate with the prosecutor. Truthfully, you may not be taken as seriously in court trying to do this yourself with a prosecutor or a judge. 

Lawyers are looked at as professionals in a courtroom and they may have even worked with a prosecutor or a judge in your case before. 

On top of this, lawyers have a lot more experience in these cases. They have been through several of them in the past, are aware of how the court views them, and they can usually tell how it will play out. 

With all of that in mind, you can imagine that lawyers will know exactly how to negotiate these types of cases. 

Provide Legal Counsel 

Another thing that your lawyer can provide you for your case is legal counsel. This is the legal strategy that you can use in the courtroom to increase your chances of receiving lighter penalties for your traffic ticket. 

For example, your attorney may tell you to be apologetic to the judge and tell you to say nothing but yes sir, no sir, no mam, or yes mam. 

Sometimes, your lawyer may find a loophole in your case that may even exonerate you from the charges. An example can be if an officer thought you were doing something in a school zone but in reality, you were out of the school zone. 

When it comes to technicalities like that, a lawyer is more likely to catch them than you are. That is because of their experience in the courtroom plus the knowledge they have of the local laws and ordinances. 

They could know traffic laws in a state inside and out, while you may be exposed to a traffic law for the first time. 

Hire a Traffic Attorney in Fairfax, VA 

These are some of the biggest reasons why you should hire a traffic attorney in Fairfax, VA. The right lawyer will give you proper legal counsel, negotiate on your behalf, potentially reduce points on your driver’s license, and even save you money on car insurance. 

If you are worried about the cost of a lawyer, there are affordable traffic lawyers in Virginia. Do you want to find one? Message us today about your case.