How Much Does a DUI Attorney Cost?
Related Topics: Long-Term Financial Impact of a DUI; DUI Consequences; DUI Penalties
It is easy to ask, “How much does a DUI lawyer cost?”, and then weigh this figure against the total cost of a DUI conviction. You may then decide that because of DUI lawyer cost, you will go it alone and represent yourself. Or you may ask the court to appoint a government-paid public defender. It is your constitutional right as a U.S. citizen to be represented by legal counsel.
We do advise, though, that you take into account all the DUI costs, DUI penalties, and DUI consequences that won’t show up until months or years later. These very real future financial burdens are hard to quantify, for example, how to calculate future loss of income. The higher your income earning potential, the more you stand to lose if you accept a DUI conviction and do not fight back.
Like in pro sports, the top players in the DUI defense business charge higher fees than inexperienced or novice attorneys. Anyone with a Bar license from the State can advertise themselves as DUI lawyers. The real question is: What is their EXPERIENCE and IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE of DUI laws?
Like with all business, “supply and demand” determines price. Plus, if an attorney ONLY takes “contested” DUI cases, then he or she will spend 5 to 10 times more hours on a case than a person who stacks up several files each day to plead all clients “guilty” to DUI-DWI. Like surgery, FIGHTING your DUI takes more time and training than giving you a flu shot.
DUI Lawyer Cost – How Much Do DUI Lawyers Cost? – DUI Attorney Fees – DUI Lawyer Fees
Some DUI law firms offer payment plans to help you budget for DUI attorney fees. Other firms have a tiered fee structure where criminal defense lawyers with less DUI defense experience charge lower fees. It is still a good idea to go with the best DUI law firm because of the firm’s overall legal experience and shared knowledge. Plus, the legal staff at a top firm will be on top of all developments in your case, and will notify you far in advance of your court dates. There is no such thing as an average cost of a DUI lawyer. The issue here is that you can find what appears to be a low-cost DUI attorney when compared to other local DUI lawyers, but your candidate may follow a pattern of having clients plead guilty to DUI and accepting the consequences of a DUI conviction.
Another potential “trap” is that a criminal law “general practitioner” who does not focus on alcohol and drug-related criminal offenses will generally not bother to take field sobriety training courses, or attend forensic laboratory test training. This means that such general practice lawyers will not know all the ways to fight a DUI.
To dabble in DUI defense is to not know the latest DUI Laws and winning strategies that can lead to a favorable outcome for you. A DUI conviction, even a first DUI conviction, is a very serious turn of events in your life. An arrest is not a conviction™!
