Anyone who has ever been arrested and charged with driving under the influence knows that it is a costly experience in more ways than one. In the end, it's going to cost you to defend yourself with a DUI lawyer.
A nationwide crackdown on driving under the influence has been underway in the United States for years now. While it is easier than ever to be caught doing so,
it is likewise that much harder to dig your way out, especially without a DUI lawyer.
Because of the difficulty many offenders have in navigating through the legal process related to the charges, it is rarely considered wise to defend oneself against them. This makes the job of a DUI lawyer that much more vital and necessary. These experts know just how to guide you through the many different hearings and legal proceedings to help you get past what happened and get back to your life again.
That being said, how necessary they are and the value their service brings makes a typical DUI lawyer less than cheap to retain. Like with many types of services, the better the quality, the steeper the price.
So what can you typically expect to pay to retain the services of a solid DUI lawyer? In many cases the basic fees are similar. At the same time, depending on the individual circumstances of the case and the actual services that will be necessary to render, there are a lot of specifics that may need to be ironed out to determine how much you'll actually owe for legal support.
In most cases, defending oneself against these types of charges adds up to several thousand dollars. The general fees for most lawyers are those that cover the nuts and bolts of the trial, from processing paperwork to securing evidence to compensating witnesses.
From there, whether or not your case actually goes to trial plays a major role in determining how costly it will be. Because of the increased time, manpower and paperwork that is involved in a trial, the costs associated with one will quickly add on to those associated with merely preparing a client's file for consideration. Settling out of court can potentially be costly in itself, but is generally less so than proceeding to trial.
That said, if you are a multiple-offender or your offense is a felony rather than a misdemeanor, even the most basic settlement can be considerably more costly than for first-time offenders. Similarly, if you must appeal any decision or the verdict in your case, this too will prolong the billing process from a DUI lawyer and add on to the final costs.
Finally, a good DUI lawyer may also ask for a retainer fee from a potential client. This one-time, up-front fee guarantees the attorney's service and acts as a down payment of sorts. This potential fee as well as other basics such as how the account will actually be billed should be ironed out and agreed upon in writing before any legal representation takes place.
