Attorney Fees

First, I would love to tell you online what exactly the attorneys fees would be. Unfortunately, since I don’t know if you hit a bus load of nuns and orphans or just got pulled over on your honeymoon reparking your car because your headlights were on I can’t…but this is what I can tell you.

When it comes to the fees that your DUI attorney will charge you, you’ll most likely find a whole range of options offered by the different lawyers on your list. From flat fee to hourly rate, and the actual costs associated to both of those, the fees of a DUI attorney vary from lawyer to lawyer. Because of that, it’s best to speak to different lawyers that have different fee structures. This is the only way to find out which fee structure is right for you.

The flat fees of different DUI lawyers range from lawyer to lawyer. Here we charge a plat fee because as I person, I hate to hire people and not know what the ultimate cost will be (hourly).  It’s best to note once again that cheap lawyers are not always the best lawyers and in fact, they rarely are (if their main selling point is that they are cheap, what are you giving up?  Experience, attention to your case…will it lead to jail?). Good lawyers have a long list of people that want to be their clients, so they can charge higher rates and take on those clients that are willing to pay them.

Inexperienced lawyers, or lawyers that aren’t that successful in the courtroom, charge lower fees because they’re still establishing their names or simply, because they’re just not that good and so, they need every client that they can get. This is definitely one type of DUI lawyer that you want to stay away from.

Many DUI lawyers that charge a flat rate will charge that rate up until the time it’s go to court and face a jury. In that case, there will generally be additional court fees. If that’s the case, make sure you always find that out right away, and that you know how much they are – this is the way our office operates.

When a DUI lawyer charges an hourly rate, they will usually ask for a retainer up-front (example $5,000).  As the lawyer works your case, they will bill everything against that retainer. Once the retainer has been depleted, the attorney will then ask the client to provide another retainer (usually the same amount or slightly lower).

One thing that you must know about DUI attorney fees is that DUI attorneys do not charge on a contingent fee basis or rather, only charge you money if they win your case. No legitimate DUI attorney is going to make this offer, and you should never be willing to accept one.

Finally, make sure you get a contract signed from the attorney.