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A traffic ticket is a common notice issued a law enforcement official. It informs the violator that they are accused of violating a traffic law. While it’s not as serious as a DUI or still more serious legal offenses, it can greatly damage a violator’s checkbook. Common traffic ticket citations are parking, speeding, and moving violations. If you’ve been issued a citation for a traffic violation, many of you out there will be so opposed to the violation that you consider tossing the ticket and never paying it. Bad news: This can result in steep fines and even jail time depending upon the length of time you avoid the ticket and the number of tickets you disregard.

There is a simple, legal way to fight a traffic citation. Lawyers went to years of law school to fight off every legal unfairness and traffic tickets are among the most commonly contested of all legal matters. They are sometimes unfair. They’re sometimes misunderstood. In the mere few seconds that a police officer has to observe a traffic move, hundreds of small driving decisions and maneuvers are made. It’s only natural that misunderstandings of the traffic maneuver can occur.

Before making a split second emotional decision to not pay a traffic fine, look at the consequences of this action. The effect of not paying a traffic citation fine can take its toll on many areas of your life. You could:

(1) Lose your license- If you’ve let traffic tickets sit and they’ve accumulated, you can lose your license for up to 2 years. Losing a license sometimes means losing a job or accruing costly public transportation fees.

(2) Be arrested- Failing to appear to court to answer for your actions results in a bench warrant issued by the judge. This means that you’re driving around constantly under the threat of arrest. Jail is not a place that a person wants to be for any amount of time, much less for a traffic ticket that could have easily either been paid or contested the legal way.

(3) Face tax return forfeiture- Imagine finding out that your fine amount has been withheld in your taxes. Few people would be happy to hear of that news.

Given the detrimental effect of not paying a traffic citation fine, it’s natural that most folks forgo all of the hassle and simply hire a competent, caring lawyer to advise them of what to do when they disagree with a traffic violation citation. This lawyer works with you from the beginning to the end of your case and makes sure that even if you are to pay a fine, it’s lower than you would have originally paid.

It’s okay to decide that you don’t agree with the citation and that you want to contest it. What you can’t do is simply toss the ticket out. A lawyer can take on your case and ensure that you don’t get contempt of court charges, don’t go to jail while you’re fighting your case, and don’t lose your license as a result of not paying traffic fines. He can get you a better outcome than traffic school or points off your license. So if you’re facing a citation, contact a lawyer first to be advised of your rights and responsibilities at this trying time.