READER QUESTION:

Since I started searching for a lawyer, I have seen that occasionally a lawyer will be listed as an AV rated Lafayette Indiana DUI lawyer. What does the first part mean.

EXCELLENT QUESTION:

The rating that you see for this AV rated Lafayette Indiana DUI lawyer is something that means that they have been looked upon favorably by their lawyer colleagues, since it is a community of lawyers that makes the AV ratings. That’s a good endorsement right there.

In fact, what an AV rating often means is that the lawyer has a lot of years of experience under their belt and that these have been very exceptional years. Someone with a favorable AV rating has a high rate of success in their cases and has the respect of their community. Someone with a good AV rating is also someone who has the ability to charge more for their services because of this prestige that comes with it.

Because of those higher prices, most of the time it will do you better just to flip the page when you see an AV rated Lafayette Indiana DUI lawyer. While you of course want to have the best representation, hiring one for an uncomplicated first time DUI offense is overkill. If you’re on your third offense, or got into an accident, or something like that, it may be good to at least check the lawyer out.

–Fashun.