DUI and DWI tips

June 2, 2017 By Marianna Barbowski

DUI and DWI

It is well known by now that legendary golfer Tiger Woods was arrested and charged with DUI (driving under the influence) this past Monday. Mr. Woods fully cooperated with the police and has represented to the public that a mix of prescription pills, and not alcohol, were the contributing factors. This leaves many wondering where does Tiger Woods go from here? As a public figure, he not only has to answer for his crime, but he has to perform damage control with respect to his reputation.

In New Hampshire, as in many other states, the standard now is “impairment to any degree.” You don’t have to be intoxicated by alcohol or under the influence of illicit drugs. As in Tiger’s case you can be impaired by an adverse reaction to prescription medications. In some instances you can even be “impaired” from an illness if it affects you balance, vision, dexterity or ability to reason and the ability to operate a vehicle safely.

Tips

So what do you do if you are stopped for a suspected of DUI or DWI? Produce your license and registration. Be polite and respectful to the officer. If you are not impaired or under the influence of anything then submit to a breathalyzer or blood test. These tests render a result that is definitive.

Often times in these situation what you do not do is even more important than what you do. For instance, don’t volunteer information. Remember you have the right to remain silent, exercise it. Don’t agree to perform Field Sobriety Tests. These are not definitive tests, they have no hard results, but rather are based entirely on what the officer claims his observations were. If you know you are impaired don’t submit to any testing. It could mean the difference between a regular DWI or a more serious charge of Aggravated DWI and potential jail time. The less evidence you give them against yourself the better.

Why hire an attorney for a first offense and not just plead guilty? A conviction for DWI has a lot of collateral consequences attached to it that can and will affect you for years to come and cost you a lot of money. Screenings, evaluations, classes, insurance costs, all at your own expense, a probationary license, and possible incarceration. All of that can possibly be avoided by just saying, “I want my attorney.” McGrath Law Firm can certainly help you and we will fight for your rights!

Contact us!

The legal team members at the McGrath Law Firm, founded by attorney Peter McGrath, former federal prosecutor, will walk you through every step of the challenging legal matter to address your concerns and achieve your goals as efficiently as possible. From criminal defense, civil litigation, personal injury, Collaborative Law, Family Law, foreclosure prevention, the experienced attorneys at McGrath Law Firm have a successful track record in all aspects of criminal law. Call us to schedule your consultation at (603) 224-7111.

Meet McGrath Law Firm Legal Team Member, Office Administrator

April 18, 2017 By Marianna Barbowski

Meet McGrath Law Firm Legal Team Member, Office Administrator/Personal Injury Paralegal

McGrath Law Firm legal team member Darlene is a native of New Hampshire. Shortly after graduating high school Darlene attended The Thomas School in Concord, New Hampshire where, upon graduation, she became the Executive Assistant to the Director and founder of the Thomas School, as well as one of the instructors. After four years of employment at the school, Darlene took a position at a law firm in Concord, New Hampshire as a paralegal. It was at that time that Darlene decided she wanted to continue to work in the legal field as her career.

Darlene has been working in law offices as a paralegal, and bookkeeper for over 27 years. She has been a legal team member at the McGrath Law Firm for 16 of those 27 years, where she started as a paralegal with a background including divorce, civil litigation, collections, and personal injury. She is now the firm’s personal injury paralegal and Office Administrator for the New Hampshire Office. In addition, Darlene assists Attorney Peter McGrath overseeing office administration duties and personal injury claims in the South Carolina Office.

To better herself and assist in her profession, Darlene has attended seminars regarding collections, trust accounting, personal injury, leadership, coaching and mentoring.

When she is not at work, Darlene enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and trips to the ocean.

Contact us!

The legal team members at the McGrath Law Firm, founded by attorney Peter McGrath, will walk you through every step of the challenging legal matter to address your concerns and achieve your goals as efficiently as possible. From civil litigation, personal injury, Collaborative Law, Family Law, foreclosure prevention, criminal defense, the experienced attorneys at McGrath Law Firm have a successful track record in all aspects of Family Law. Call us to schedule your consultation at (603) 224-7111.

Meet McGrath Law Firm Legal Team Member, Senior Paralegal

April 11, 2017 By Marianna Barbowski

Meet McGrath Law Firm Legal Team Member, Senior Paralegal, Marianna!

McGrath Legal Team Member and Senior Paralegal, Marianna is originally from a little hamlet on Long Island called Copiague, which is located next to the more popular Town of Amityville, from which the Amityville Horror book and movies were derived. She and her family moved to Bedford, New Hampshire in early 2004.

Marianna has known since high school that she wanted to make a career out of working in a law office environment, assisting attorneys. In fact, she believes she was destined to end up at McGrath Law Firm and jokes that as a child she learned to ride a horse on a horse named Esquire, and occasionally visited Pelham, New Hampshire where she visited her relatives on McGrath Road.

Early in her career, while going to college and waitressing part time, Marianna took a job as a file clerk to simply get her foot in a law firm. She worked her way up through the ranks by proving her abilities. Learning all aspects of law firm operations has proven to be an asset and essential to developing the skills she has acquired to date.

In her downtime, Marianna enjoys spending time with her family, visiting with friends and family back on Long Island and traveling.

Marianna’s experience in the legal industry.

Marianna has 20+ years of experience as a legal assistant/paralegal. She really knows all the ins-and-outs of the industry. She holds an AAS-Paralegal from Nassau Community College, plus quite a few other credits through NCC. Marianna enjoys and continues her education when the opportunity arises by taking various CLEs and other continuing education courses.

Marianna joined the McGrath Law Firm team in June 2005 as an assistant to Attorney Peter G. McGrath. Over the years, this role has grown to include working closely with most of the attorneys in the office and overseeing the company billing. Marianna also assists on other McGrath business ventures in New Hampshire. Marianna is a New Hampshire notary public and also holds her inactive New Hampshire real estate license.

Moreover, Marianna’s skills and 20+ years of legal industry experience make her someone you want assisting on your case. Marianna’s experience in the field, past and present, includes the areas of bankruptcy, civil litigation, corporate documents and formations, and real estate matters. Marianna has also been assisting with the marketing, press releases, blogs and social media, etc. She looks forward to learning more about this aspect of the business.

In conclusion, one reason you want Marianna in your corner is that she attends conferences and continually stays up to date and enjoys learning about industry trends. Marianna is also more than just what her job title suggests. She contributes to keeping the office working at maximum efficiency; mentors her peers and provides support to all attorneys in the office.