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What to Expect When Contacting the Oberman & Rice Law Firm

When you contact our Knoxville, Tennessee office at (865) 249-7200, our lawyers or dedicated staff will obtain some basic information from you and work with you to schedule an initial consultation as soon as possible. Although we are available to answer some basic questions about your Tennessee criminal charge, we prefer to discuss the details of your case in person and after we have had an opportunity to review some important documentation associated with your case. In fact, depending upon the arresting agency and your criminal charge, we will ask that you obtain certain documentation to bring with you to the initial consultation, such as an Arrest Report, Accident Report, or Alcohol Influence Report Form (DUI Report). The following chart will assist you when obtaining this documentation.

What to Expect If We Accept Your Case

Mr. Oberman and Ms. Compher-Rice are devoted to obtaining a successful result to your DUI or related criminal charge. This requires a high level of commitment on the part of both you and your attorney.  Accordingly, before hiring Steve or Sara as your Tennessee DUI lawyer, you should take a moment to seriously consider some important questions. How important is your Tennessee criminal case to you? Are you prepared to:

• Spend 1½ to 2 hours during the initial meeting with our lawyers to thoroughly review the details of your case?

• Communicate and meet with Steve or Sara frequently and assist them in the preparation of your case?

• Assist in the investigation of your case by meeting with our investigator; obtaining relevant medical records and other documentation important to your case; and completing a detailed questionnaire?

• Meet with us at our Knoxville, Tennessee office or other predetermined location early on the morning of each court appearance so that you may know what to expect and be prepared for your court appearance?
  
  

Payment Information

If Mr. Oberman and Ms. Compher-Rice believe they can assist you, the details of the fee agreement will be discussed in detail. A written contract will be prepared and your approval obtained before you become obligated to pay any fees on your Tennessee DUI or DUI-related case.

 It is unethical for a Tennessee lawyer to accept a criminal case on a contingency basis (based on whether or not you win the case). Therefore, in most cases, Steve and Sara will attempt to arrange either a retainer, which will be billed against an hourly fee, or a mutually agreed upon payment schedule of a flat rate fee so long as the fees are paid in full before the final disposition of your case. A flat rate fee provides the client with the knowledge of the maximum fee prior to retaining either Mr. Oberman or Ms. Compher-Rice. We are typically able to arrange for a mutually agreeable payment schedule so long as the fees are paid in full within three to four months after the arrest. Of course, exceptions do exist which may extend the payment schedule for a longer period of time. If Steve or Sara agree to accept the case, in most circumstances a fee will be quoted at the time of the initial consultation once they have had the opportunity to fully evaluate your Tennessee DUI or related criminal case.

The Oberman & Rice law firm accepts payments in the form of cash, check or credit card (Visa or MasterCard).

WHAT SETS US APART

• Board Certified in DUI Defense: Steve Oberman is the only lawyer in Tennessee to be recognized as a Certified Specialist in the area of DUI Defense Law by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization, and by the National College for DUI Defense, Inc.

• Don’t Hire Us To Plead Guilty as Charged: We are interested in actively defending those accused of DUI—not pleading you guilty as charged.

• Personalized Attention for Our Clients: Steve and Sara limit the number of cases they select to ensure our clients receive the special attention they deserve.

• We Use a Team Approach with Every Case: Although you hire only one lawyer as lead counsel, our lawyers and investigator collaborate together on defense strategies for each case.

• Highest Peer Review Ratings: Martindale-Hubbell® has bestowed the firm with the highest rating for law firms. Both Steve and Sara have achieved the 10.0 (Superb) rating from www.avvo.com. Steve has been selected as a Mid-South Super Lawyer® in the area of DUI/DWI defense since 2006, while Sara has been named a "Rising Star" by Mid-South Super Lawyers® in the area of DUI/DWI defense.

• Our Practice is Devoted to DUI or Related Cases: Because the severe consequences one faces when accused of driving under the influence and due to the complexities inherent in defending DUI cases, our practice is focused on this particular area of the law.

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