FLAT FEES

Please note, payment plans are available and will be determined during your free initial consultation.

DUI / D.U.I. / Driving Under The Influence

Being convicted of a DUI can have serious consequences.  From losing one's license, to years of imprisonment.  The likelihood of the State successfully prosecuting such a charge is greatly dependent on the admissibility of potential evidence.  As your defense attorney, I will pursue every reasonable avenue to suppress any incriminating evidence the State intends to use against you. 

Based on what evidence is deemed admissible, I will discuss with you the possible outcomes of a guilty plea vs. a trial.  Depending on what we decide is the best course of action, I will either negotiate a plea with the State that you find acceptable, or I will defend you in either a trial by judge or jury.

MISDEMEANOR

Depending on what class of Misdemeanor you are charged with, you could face up a year in jail if convicted.  Furthermore, the stigma of having a criminal conviction attaches as well.  With that in mind, I will explore every possible course of action with you when determining your defense.  

As with a DUI, evidence can be suppressed, and if it can be, it should be.  Perhaps you were questioned without proper warning of your rights, or maybe your entire police contact was violative of your individual liberty.  If there is a Constitutional argument to be made as to why evidence against you should be suppressed, I will make it.

As always, a negotiated plea of guilty is an option, but should that be unacceptable, I will defend you in either a trial by judge or jury.

FELONY

While no criminal charge should be taken lightly, being charged with a felony is the most serious threat to a your freedom you can encounter.

Any felony conviction exposes you to at least one year in Prison, and possibly the remainder of your life there.  Clearly, this is a time to pull out all the stops.  

After defending you at a preliminary hearing, and gathering all possible evidence against you, I will seek to have as much of it suppressed as possible.  It is the State's duty to act within the bounds of the law, and when they fail to do so, they should not be rewarded by being allowed to use unlawfully gained evidence without challenge.

Upon determining what evidence will be admitted at trial, either a negotiated plea will be reached, or I will defend you before a trial by judge or jury.

Should a sentencing hearing become necessary, I will appear for you at that as well, and present factors in mitigation on your behalf.

PETITION TO REVOKE

Should you be placed on Court Supervision (a form of Probation in which a conviction is not entered against you), Conditional Discharge (a form of "un-monitored" Probation), or Probation (the "normal" form of Probation, in which a conviction is entered against you, you have to report periodically to your probation officer, and often have to jump through a much larger number of hoops), you will be ordered by the Court to comply with certain terms in exchange for not serving a longer period of incarceration.  From time to time, if you have allegedly violated one or more terms of your Probation, the State will attempt to revoke your Probation and resentence you to any penalty you could have received when you were  initially found guilty.

Depending on the best course of action, I will either negotiate an agreed modification of your Probation, openly admit the violation and argue factors in mitigation at a resentencing, or deny the allegations outright and force the State to prove a violation occurred.

POLICE INVESTIGATION

It is better to not be charged with a crime at all than to be charged and have those charges dismissed.  This is due to the fact that being charged with a crime carries a stigma with it, and because the arrest and charge still shows up on your record unless it is expunged or sealed.

With that in mind, if you are the subject of a police investigation, all communication between you and the police should be conducted through me, as your attorney. 

As soon as you've retained me to assist you during the course of a police investigation, I'll formally notify the the police that I represent you, and that all further communications with you are to be directed to me from there on out.  Together, we will cooperate with the police as much as possible in order to avoid being charged.  However, I will always have your best interests in mind, and will not allow you to incriminate yourself.

TRAFFIC/SPEEDING TICKET

When it comes to traffic tickets, court supervision is generally the ideal outcome for a client.  

Should you retain me to defend you in such a case, I will discuss the case with you and determine if the facts of your case actually fit the charge against you.  If not, they may be dismissed. 

If the ticket can not be dismissed, then I will attempt to negotiate a plea that places you on Court Supervision, in order to theoretically avoid any increase in your insurance rates and protect your driving privileges.  If that is not possible, then we will decide whether to negotiate some other plea, or require the State to prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt before a trial by judge or jury.

CONTINUANCE

Failing to appear in Court when you have been notified that your presence is mandatory can lead to a warrant being issued for your arrest, additional fees being imposed, your bond being forfeited, a finding of guilt in your absence, or all of the above.  

Obviously, none of the above is desirable.  That is why should you be unable to appear for a required court appearance, on a case in which I do not already represent you, I will appear on your behalf and attempt to schedule a new court date approximately a month later, in order to give you time to resolve any conflicts you may have with that new court date. 

Nobody can guarantee what a Court will do in such situations, but hiring an attorney to appear in your absence is the best way of showing to the Court that you take the proceedings seriously. 

WILL

The contents of a Will vary greatly from person to person.  

In consultation with you, I will draft a Will that bequeaths your assets as you see fit, establishes an executor to administer your Will when necessary, establishes a guardian for your dependents if necessary, sets forth your last wishes regarding the handling of your remains, and sets forth any other terms you deem necessary and proper.

If you already have a Will, I will either incorporate the terms of that Will, or replace it alltogether.  Furthermore, I will ensure that all requirements are met for authentication of your Will, and will provide you and your family with an original and several copies of your Last Will and Testament.  

LIVING WILL

The contents of a Living Will vary greatly from person to person.

In consultation with you, I will draft a Living Will that sets forth, with great specificity, your wishes regarding end of life decisions.  You have the right to determine what measures should be taken in order to resuscitate you and/or keep you alive.

Furthermore, you have a right to determine, to an extent, what you consider an acceptable state of being "alive".  

I will discuss your options with you, assist you in clarifying your desires, and formalize your wishes into a legally binding document that does everything possible to ensure that you will be treated as you would like to be treated in the event you are no longer able to make such determinations for yourself.

Finally, I will ensure that all requirements are met for authentication of your Living Will, and will provide you and your family with an original and several copies of your Living Will.

POWERS OF ATTORNEY

Like a Living Will, granting Powers of Attorney is a way to ensure your life end decisions are made in a manner you find acceptable.  The primary difference is, rather than attempting to anticipate every possible situation and explicitly transmit your wishes regarding those situations, you choose an agent to act in your stead.

Put simply, when you grant someone Powers of Attorney, you are trusting them with complete control over your body and property.  You are declaring that they speak for you, and that they speak as you would speak, were you able to do so.  

This avenue of estate planning carries the risk of choosing an agent who fails to do what you might have done in that situation.  However, it also carries the benefit of establishing certainty with regards to your decision-making.

Should you choose to grant Powers of Attorney, I'll prepare two specifically tailored documents granting the decision making powers outlined herein to an individual or individuals of your choosing.

Such decision making powers would also include authority to sell, purchase, and transfer property.

FULL ESTATE PLAN

A Full Estate Plan includes the services included with a Will and either a Living Will or Powers of Attorney for a discounted flat fee.

IMMIGRATION SERVICES

After completing a FREE initial consultation an initial retainer of $1000 is required before work begins.  All work done by me on your file is billed at an hourly rate of $200 per hour.   Please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange your consultation.

Family Law

Due to the unpredictable nature of the following, all family law matters, including Prenuptial Agreements, Divorce, Legal Separation, Child Custody, Child Support, Child Visitation, Spousal Maintenance (formerly known as Alimony), and Adoption are billed at an hourly rate of $200 per hour for Attorney Time and $100 per hour for legal assistant time.  An initial consultation is required to determine what amount of retainer is required before any work begins.  Please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange your consultation.

PAYMENT:  For your convenience, my services may be paid for by credit/debit card.  Note: sending any payment prior to consultation with Eric S. Reyes will not create a lawyer client relationship between you and any member of this office.