Start by finding the courthouse named on your DUI paperwork, then look for a California DUI lawyer who regularly appears there, not simply the office closest to your home. The Law Offices of David S. Chesley lists offices across Southern, Central and Northern California and takes calls for a free consultation 24/7 at (800) 755-5174.

Which court is handling your DUI case?

Your arrest paperwork or notice to appear names the court where your DUI case will be heard, so identify it before you search for a lawyer by location.

Vehicle Code 40302(d) sends a person arrested for a misdemeanor DUI before a magistrate; if the person is released first on a written promise to appear, Penal Code 853.6(a)(1) requires the notice to state the offense charged and "the time when, and place where, the person shall appear in court." If you were booked instead of cited at the roadside, the paperwork handed to you at release, or the record the court clerk holds once a case is filed, should show the same information. Call the courthouse clerk or the agency that arrested you if you cannot find any of that paperwork.

Do not guess the courthouse from the city where you live or where you were stopped. Plenty of California cities send their cases to a courthouse in another city or to one of several branches of a county court, so the name on your own paperwork is more reliable than an assumption.

Does the firm have an office near that courthouse?

The firm's location directory groups more than a hundred California offices by region, so check it once you know which courthouse has your case.

The firm's location directory organizes its published locations into Southern, Central and Northern California. Southern California entries cover Los Angeles County, the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys, Orange County, the Inland Empire counties of San Bernardino and Riverside, San Diego County and Ventura County. Central and Northern California entries include Santa Barbara and the Central Valley (including Fresno and Bakersfield), plus Sacramento, Stockton and the Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose) further north. The main office is at 6260 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Suite 102, North Hollywood, CA 91606.

Each listed location shows the contact details the firm has published for that area, and the directory's own instruction is to call and confirm the appointment location before visiting, since availability and meeting location can change.

What if no office is close to the courthouse on your paperwork?

A free, confidential consultation by phone is available 24/7, regardless of how far the nearest listed office is from your courthouse.

The firm's contact page offers that free consultation, and its location directory says the firm serves clients throughout its listed areas, so distance from the nearest office does not have to delay a first conversation about your case. A lawyer does not need to be based in the same city as the courthouse to appear there on your behalf and to talk with you beforehand by phone.

Why does acting quickly matter in a DUI case specifically?

A DUI arrest starts a short deadline to request a DMV hearing on your license, so finding a lawyer fast matters more here than in many other kinds of cases.

Vehicle Code 13558(b) gives you only 10 days from receiving the suspension notice to request a DMV hearing held before the suspension takes effect, and when DMV mails the notice it counts 14 days from the date of the notice. Miss that window and you lose the right to a hearing under Vehicle Code 14101(b), although DMV may still choose to accept a late request. DMV's own guidance says many Driver Safety matters "can be handled" through its online case management system, and a granted hearing is held remotely or in person before a DMV hearing officer, not a judge. A lawyer who learns about your case early has more time to request that hearing and review the arrest before your first court date.

What should you bring to the first conversation, and what should you ask?

Bring any paperwork from the arrest and your next court date if you already have one, along with a short list of questions about experience and fees.

The firm's guide to choosing a criminal defense lawyer lists the kind of questions worth asking before you decide who will represent you, including courtroom experience and how fees work. Its separate consultation checklist helps you organize documents and questions ahead of the call.

Frequently asked questions

What if I was not given any paperwork at the scene?

Ask the arresting agency or call the courthouse clerk directly. If you were released on a written promise to appear, Penal Code 853.6(a)(1) required the notice to be prepared in duplicate with the offense charged and the time and place to appear, so a copy exists even if you do not have yours.

Does the firm have a listed office in every city?

No. The directory lists offices and regional contact numbers across more than a hundred California cities, but not every city has its own entry. Where your area is not listed, the firm says it serves clients throughout its listed areas, and a phone consultation is available 24/7.

Does requesting a DMV hearing pause the license suspension?

No. Vehicle Code 13558(e) states that a request for an administrative hearing does not stay the suspension. If DMV does not hold the hearing and decide a timely request in time, the same subsection requires it to postpone the effective date instead.

Should I search by the city where I live or the city where I was arrested?

Search by the city or county named on your arrest paperwork. That is where your case is filed and where a lawyer actually needs to appear, which can be a different place from where you live or where the stop happened.

Will the firm meet with me somewhere other than a listed office?

The firm's location directory says it serves clients throughout its listed areas and can meet at a client's location when needed, in addition to offering a 24/7 phone consultation.

Is there a cost for the first conversation?

No. The contact page offers a free initial consultation, and the firm discusses fees and payment plans with you as part of that conversation, before you agree to representation.

Talk to a lawyer

The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, is available 24/7, and discusses fees and payment plans before you agree to representation. Se habla español. Call (800) 755-5174 or use the contact page to start the conversation about your DUI case and which office or phone consultation fits where your case is being heard.