If you are dealing with the suspension of your Massachusetts Driver’s License, contact Hardship License Attorney Brian E. Simoneau by completing the contact form on this website or calling me at 508-656-0057. I will either answer your call directly or get back to you personally to discuss your suspension and how I may be able to get you back on the road.
Legal representation in hardship license appeals beings with an interview of the client and a detailed review of the client’s driving and criminal records. This purpose of this interview and record review is designed to assess the client’s chances of success at a hearing before either the Registry of Motor Vehicles or Board of Appeal. Also, by going through the client’s driving record and criminal record, Attorney Brian E. Simoneau will be able to identify potential problems and issues prior to proceeding to hearing. Common items which need to be addressed include: unpaid citations, multiple suspensions, unpaid excise tax, EZ pass fines, parking tickets, completion of National Safety Council driver re-training classes, DUI programs, open cases, out of state revocations, or record blocks in the National Driver Register (NDR).
Next, the client will complete a detailed questionnaire which Attorney Simoneau will use to present the client’s case at the Registry of Motor Vehicles hearing or at the Board of Appeal. In cases which are brought before the Division of Insurance Board of Appeal, Attorney Simoneau will draft and present a written hearing memorandum which addresses the client’s background, history, suspensions, hardship, need for a license, and risk to public safety.
The third step in the representation process involves the collection and assembly of documents such as program completion certificates, discharge summaries, character reference letters, court dockets, alcohol evaluations, and the like. Documents of this nature are essential at hardship hearings before either the appeals board or the RMV. Generally, the more paperwork of this nature presented, the better.
The fourth step involves a complete pre-hearing review of the client’s case. Sometimes, a discussion with the Registry is productive and it may result in a reduction of the suspension or other relief. Once this step is complete, the hardship license appeal is heard by either a Registry Hearings Officer at the Driver Control Unit, which is located at 630 Washington Street in Boston, or the RMV Board of Appeal, which holds hearings at various locations such as the Marlborough District Court and the Plymouth Superior Court.
In most cases, Registry hearings officers make hardship license determinations immediately. However, Registry regulations allow them up to 10 days to render a decision. Board of Appeal cases are not decided immediately. It usually takes up to 2 weeks to receive a written decision from the Board.
Every step in the legal representation process is designed to maximize your chances of getting a hardship license and hiring lawyer can make a big difference. Call or e-mail today if you need help with a Massachusetts Hardship Driver’s License.