Losing your driver’s license is a huge blow to your way of life. If you’ve had your license for many years before it was suspended, you’ve gotten used to the kind of life you can live and the freedom a car provides. Need to go somewhere? No problem – just hop in the car and be on your way. It’s an incredible convenience, and one that most of us take for granted.
If you’ve lost your license in the state of Massachusetts, you would almost certainly love to get it back early. That’s not an easy task, of course, but it is worth exploring all of your options. In this post, we are going to touch on some ideas that you may want to consider. None of these tips are guaranteed to lead to a successful outcome, of course, but hopefully they’ll point you in the right direction.
How did you get your license suspended?
This is perhaps the most important question in the whole process. Why did you lose your license in the first place? There are dozens of reasons for license suspension under Massachusetts law, and the one which applies to your case is going to say a lot about whether or not you can get back on the road early. Be sure you understand exactly why your license was suspended so you can begin to make a case for getting it back. The reason for your license suspension will dictate the appropriate steps to follow to obtain a hardship license or a full reinstatement.
In the meantime, follow the rules
One thing you can’t afford to do while your license is suspended is make another mistake. That means you shouldn’t be out driving without a license, and you shouldn’t be getting into any other kind of legal trouble. Basically, you need to avoid doing anything that would give the RMV second thoughts about reinstating your license. You need to prove that you deserve to have a license, and any mistakes that you made in the past are not going to be repeated. You risk going to jail if you are caught operating after suspension or revocation and that will make getting your license restored more difficult.
It’s easy to think that no one will know if you just hop in the car for a quick drive to the store or a restaurant, but it only takes one mistake to ruin any chance you had at a reinstated license. Avoid the temptation to take such a risk and play it safe so you can maintain any chance you have at getting back on the road legally.
Getting help from a license attorney
If you are serious about getting your license back early, don’t try to take on this project all on your own. Instead, enlist the help of a qualified attorney with experience in this area of the law. Did you know it’s possible that your license suspension wasn’t even legal in the first place? If mistakes have been made on the part of the RMV, you may be able to get your license back, possibly even right away.
However, should you decide to pass on the idea of hiring a lawyer, you’ll probably never know if mistakes were made. You don’t have the experience and knowledge in this field to spot errors and argue that a suspension was wrongfully enforced. That’s why an attorney is such a valuable asset in this situation. By going over the details of your case with a qualified attorney, and then having that attorney with you at any hearings that may occur, you’ll be in a much better position to state your case and make a clear argument. Again, there is never a guarantee of success, but at least you’ll give yourself a fair chance.
There are positive outcomes
When working with a lawyer on your license suspension case, there are a few ways that you could improve your situation. The best-case scenario, of course, is to have your license fully reinstated. As mentioned earlier, this could happen if it is determined that your suspension was unlawful in the first place. It would be great to get your license back right away, but that isn’t the only positive outcome on the table.
Another option would be to have the length of your suspension shortened based on the facts of the case and the arguments of your attorney. So, for example, you may have to wait only 6 months to start driving again, as opposed to a year (suspension lengths vary by case). Finally, you could work toward a hardship license, which would give you some ability to get back on the road, even though it would not provide you with the full rights of a regular driver’s license.
You don’t want to live without your driver’s license for any longer than is necessary. If you have been trying to figure out how to get a suspended license back early, we hope this post has given you some ideas. Contact us if you need help getting started.