When you receive a traffic ticket in California, you always have a few options to consider. You may decide to pay your fine, and by doing so, you also will have a point added to your driving record. This may result in your auto insurance rates rising. If you accumulate enough points on your record within a certain period of time, you may lose your driver’s license. You can attend traffic school to avoid having a point added to your driving record and to prevent your insurance rates from increasing. However, many drivers opt to contest the traffic ticket in a court of law. By doing so, the ticket may be dismissed. Even if you are not successful with this effort, you may still be able to attend traffic school. But before you contest your ticket, you should be aware that there is a difference between working with a law firm and a trial by written declaration company. By understanding the differences, you can make a more informed decision about your options.
What a Trial By Written Declaration Company Can and Cannot Do For You
When you work with a law firm or a trial by written declaration company, both can assist you with contesting your traffic citation. However, from this point, there are considerable differences between what these two types of firms can do for you.
A trial by written declaration company cannot:
- Appear in court to represent you in front of a judge
- Request your bail to be waived
- Provide you with legal advice
Essentially, the services available to you through a trial by written declaration company are very limited in comparison to the legal services available to you through a law firm.
Other Downsides to Consider
Some drivers who want to contest their traffic ticket in California are enticed to consider working with a trial by written declaration company because of relatively low rates or eye-catching marketing.
- Keep in mind that the success rates advertised by these companies are not regulated by the California Bar Association or other agencies.
- Essentially, these companies can compute their success rate using any metrics, and there is no way to verify that their advertised success rate is accurate.
- Furthermore, these companies often advertise a money-back guarantee, so it appears that you have nothing to lose by attempting to fight your ticket with their services. However, when you read the fine print, there is often a processing fee or other fee that is non-refundable.
- Also, bail paid to the court may not be included in the guarantee. Therefore, there actually usually are fees associated with using these services.
If You Are a Commercial Driver
Commercial drivers may be especially sensitive to points being placed on their driving record.
- Not only will points affect a commercial driver’s insurance rates, but points can also affect their ability to earn a living or to get a job.
- If you lose your case through a trial by written declaration company, your point will be placed on your record immediately.
- In order to remove this point, you must do a Trial De Novo to re-try to the case. Winning the case and working with the Department of Motor Vehicles is the only way to remove this point.
- The point is not automatically removed, and you must actively pursue the removal of the point from your record through the DMV.
If you have decided to fight your traffic ticket, consider the differences between working with a law firm and a trial by written declaration company. There are benefits associated with pursuing your case with the assistance of a law firm.
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Scott Desind
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