Those arrested in Missouri for DWI face both criminal charges and civil “sanctions” as a result.

Many people are at least somewhat familiar with court procedure and will continue their criminal case until the court denies further attempts.

You must keep in mind that in Missouri, the Department of Revenue can suspend or revoke your license starting as soon as 15 days after your arrest for DWI.

If you received a notice like this one (http://dor.mo.gov/forms/2385.pdf) when you were arrested, or even if you are not sure if you did or not, you must act quickly to preserve your right to appeal the administrative suspension.

Having an attorney with the experience to appeal your suspension can mean the difference between having a chance at keeping your license, and losing it without the right to appeal.

Selecting which attorney will defend your DWI is an important decision.

Keep in mind these tips:

• Beware of anyone whose practice areas lump “traffic” in with “DWI”. Why? These two categories of problem have almost nothing to do with each other when examined by an experienced attorney. Approaching the handling of a speeding ticket is vastly different to the approach to defending a DWI. Placing them in the same category may mean you need to keep looking.

• Beware of anyone says “…and you will lose your license for a period of time.” Why? An experienced and client-focused attorney will always tell you that keeping your license is at least a possibility! Being told that you WILL lose your license is a clue that you may need to keep interviewing attorneys.

Starting January 1, 2017, the requirement that a petitioner for a court-ordered limited driving privilege be driving-related-felony free will be adjusted.

The “look-back” will be limited to the 5 years immediately preceding the petition.

If you have been under a 10 year denial, and haven’t been able to get an LDP, you may become eligible once the law changes.

Contact me today to see if you need to file your petition for limited driving privileges.