Cost of a DUI Lawyer
A charge of DUI seems like a straightforward charge – one against whom you can easily defend yourself. Unfortunately, it is in fact one of the most complicated criminal charges in existence; trying to deal with all of its complexities yourself may be detrimental to your well being.
Legal Fees in a DUI Charge
Hourly rates for DUI cases are typically between 100 to 300 dollars. If you want a really good DUI lawyer (someone whose reputation precedes him or her), prepare to pay around $500 per hour. Flat rates for DUI attorneys, however, can go from only 500 dollars to more than a thousand dollars for a single, quick appeal on your behalf. If the DUI case you’re facing is more complicated than that, however, and there is a strong possibility that your case will actually go to trial, then your attorney’s quote can go up to as high as $10,000 or even more. The fees are even higher if you are faced with a second- or third-offense charge.
After you have decided on an hourly or flat fee, you need to pay the lawyer his or her retainer fee. The retainer is based on the hourly rate or the flat fee you have agreed upon. The typical retainer for a complex DUI offense is $5,000 and is considered as advance payment for several hours of work. The retainer may also be computed as a percentage of the flat fee agreed upon – say 50% of the $10,000 flat fee.
Aside from fees for the attorney, however, you will also have to deal with additional charges. You may have to spend additional money to pay for your own chemical tests, for expert witnesses who can throw doubt on the veracity and accuracy of field sobriety and portable breath tests, and private investigators that can provide the jurors with evidence that will weaken the prosecutor’s arguments.
