An officer told me I could just pay my tickets off and wouldn’t have to spend money on an attorney. What should I do?

You were pulled over while driving and the officer wrote you a ticket. The officer then proceeds to tell you to just go pay the tickets off and not hire an attorney. However, you should always hire a lawyer if you are charged with a crime and unsure how to proceed. It is shocking how many completely misunderstood issues surrounding how speeding cases there are.

There are not just costs in terms of attorney’s fees and the penalty from the traffic ticket. There are also increased insurance premiums that result from a conviction, possible suspension of a license, or worse. Once one case is handled incorrectly, driver’s license problems tend to snowball. It can be complicated for even the best traffic lawyer to fix traffic violations at that point. It can also be very expensive. Having a good traffic lawyer from the beginning will likely save you time and money. It will also likely prevent anything unexpected from happening to your driving privileges or your insurance.

Will I get driver’s license points if I pay off my traffic ticket?

Probably. Driver’s license points are used by the NC DMV to take away your license. Convictions for certain traffic violations carry driver’s license points. The target number for a suspension is usually twelve, however, there are other circumstances that may lead to revocation. When an experienced lawyer looks at your case, one of several considerations is license points. You should always seek the help of an experienced lawyer if you have received a traffic citation and are unsure of the consequences or how to proceed.

Will the cost of my car insurance go up because of my ticket?

Probably. Certain convictions always carry insurance points, and some tickets carry more points than other tickets. There is no substitute for an experienced attorney to counsel you about these matters.

Should I pay my citation by mailing it to the Clerk along with payment?

No. It is rarely a good idea to pay off a citation through the mail. You will be entering a plea to the speed as charged. That is, a speeding ticket for 15 mph over the speed limit, paid through the mail, will result in a conviction for going 15 mph over the speed limit, and you will have your license revoked by the DMV for 60 days. A plea to a lesser charge is not available through the mail in this fashion. A court appearance, whether or not through an attorney, creates the possibility of having the ticket reduced or dismissed.