What the money-back guarantee protects

Off The Record (OTR) offers a money-back guarantee on eligible traffic ticket cases. If your attorney does not get you a favorable outcome, you get a full refund of your legal fee. You find out whether your case is eligible before you book — there are no surprises.

The guarantee covers one thing: your attorney doing the work and still not reaching a favorable outcome. It does not cover an outcome you caused yourself. If you take an action that undercuts your attorney's work, or that makes a favorable outcome impossible, the guarantee no longer applies — even on a case that was eligible.

Below are the situations that void your guarantee, and how to avoid each one.

Paying your ticket or resolving the case yourself

Paying your ticket is the most common way people void their guarantee — often by accident.

When you pay a traffic ticket directly, whether online or at the courthouse, the court treats it as an admission of guilt. You have pleaded guilty. That ends your case and undoes everything your attorney was working toward. Because the case was resolved by you, and not lost by your attorney, the guarantee does not apply and your legal fee is not refunded.

The same is true if you resolve the case any other way outside the platform. Settling the ticket on your own voids your refund.

⚠️ Do not pay your ticket while your case is active

Wait until your attorney tells you the case is resolved. Paying the ticket yourself counts as pleading guilty — it voids your guarantee, and there is no refund. Only pay a fine when your attorney instructs you to.

If you are not sure whether to pay, or you are unsure about the status of your case, do not guess. Message your attorney in the case chat or contact our support team. Once your case is resolved, your attorney will tell you exactly what to pay and when.

Not responding to your attorney in time

Once you book, your attorney may have questions for you, or need documents like a photo of your driver's license or your insurance card. These help them build your defense. Some cases cannot move forward until your attorney hears back from you.

If you delay, it can hurt the outcome of your case. And if your case is lost because you did not respond in time, the guarantee does not apply. Your attorney could not do their job, because they were waiting on you.

You do not need to do much, but you do need to stay reachable and reply promptly. Your defense depends on it.

To make sure you never miss a message from your attorney:

Missing a required court date

Most OTR customers never have to go to court. For most cases, your attorney appears on your behalf, and you never step foot in a courtroom.

But a few states require you to appear in court alongside your attorney, even for a routine traffic ticket — for example, New Jersey and Massachusetts. This is a court rule, not an OTR rule. Your attorney may be able to request a waiver, but if you do not qualify for an exception, you have to appear.

If your appearance is required and you miss your court date, the court may rule against you, and that can mean a guilty finding. Because the missed date is a court requirement and not your attorney's fault, a loss caused by missing court voids your guarantee.

Even if you miss your court date, your attorney may be able to get it rescheduled. But because rescheduling requires an extra court appearance, they may charge you an additional fee.

✅ Most customers never set foot in court

For the vast majority of cases, your attorney handles court for you. Only a few states require you to appear in person. To check whether yours is one of them, read Will you have to appear in court?

Not completing required steps after your case is resolved

When your attorney resolves your case, the result sometimes comes with steps you need to complete. For example, you may need to pay a reduced fine, take a class, or finish community service hours. Your attorney will tell you what to do and the deadline for each step.

These deadlines matter. If you miss them, the court can reverse the favorable outcome your attorney secured. A dismissal or a reduction can be undone if you do not hold up your end of the deal.

If the favorable outcome is reversed because you did not complete a required step in time, the guarantee does not apply. The reversal was not your attorney's fault, so your legal fee is not refunded.

So when your attorney gives you instructions after resolving your case, follow them and watch the deadlines. If anything is unclear, ask in the case chat before the deadline passes.

Refusing the outcome your attorney negotiated

We all hope for a full dismissal, but a dismissal is not always possible. Often the strongest result your attorney can reach is a charge reduction or a point reduction. These are real wins — they protect your driving record and soften the insurance impact of a ticket.

If your attorney negotiates a favorable outcome and you do not accept it, the guarantee no longer applies. Your attorney delivered exactly what the guarantee promises — a favorable outcome. The guarantee covers a case that was lost, not a win you turned down.

This usually comes up after your attorney has exhausted the other options and explained that the negotiated result is the best one available. If you reject that result and decide to handle the ticket yourself, you void your guarantee.

How to keep your money-back guarantee valid

The pattern across all 5 situations is the same: the guarantee protects you when your attorney cannot win, not when you prevent, undo, or reject a win. Stay engaged, let your attorney finish the job, and your guarantee stays valid.

✅ Keep your guarantee valid

Still not sure?

If you are ever unsure about a step — whether to pay a fine, whether you need to appear in court, or what to do next — do not guess. Message your attorney in the case chat, or contact our support team. It is always better to ask than to risk your guarantee.