How Much Does A DUI Lawyer Cost?

DUI Lawyer in Orange County

If you’ve been arrested for DUI you’re now faced with the prospect of hiring an Orange County DUI Lawyer to represent you in court and at the  DMV hearing. So, you’re probably wondering, how much does a DUI Lawyer cost? And once you start looking, you’ll find that the rates charged by DUI lawyers fluctuates wildly from as little as $800.00 to $15,000.00. So why the great disparity? Well, for one thing, there may be a great difference in what you get. But also the great difference occurs because there is no regulation in the industry controlling what a DUI attorney can charge.  So it is very important to understand exactly what the DUI attorney will do for the fee he or she charges.

The expensive but reputable firms will tell you that you get what you pay for. But that isn’t always true. These firms usually charge a lot of money and provide every service that you may (or may not) need. They will represent their clients at the DMV hearing as well as in court. They will also provide retesting of the blood sample, private investigator services if needed, expert testimony from a forensic toxicologist if needed, and representation at trial. However, the vast majority of DUI cases don’t need all of these services so the client ends up paying for services they never get. Moreover, the vast majority of DUI cases never go to trial, so the client pays for an expensive trial that never happens. Other services included in the high retainer, such as expert testimony and private investigator hours are also seldom needed. This results in a tremendous windfall for the DUI law firm that manifests itself in a nice office with a big staff driving new cars but does little to help the client.

On the other hand, DUI Attorneys in Orange County who charge as little as a thousand dollars up front to handle a DUI may not give your case the attention it needs. Many low cost DUI attorneys will simply look to settle your case as early as possible without bringing suppression or discovery motions, ensuring that the breath or blood testing devices were properly calibrated and maintained, issuing subpoenas for audio and video evidence in your case, interviewing witnesses, or visiting the scene where field sobriety tests were conducted if necessary.

So, if money is no object for you, well you probably should go with an expensive firm and pay for all the services you may need, whether or not you will actually need them. But for those who don’t have unlimited funds, it is a much better option to find an Orange County DUI Attorney with solid academic credentials and extensive experience litigating DUI cases who will perform all services necessary and only charge you for those services that YOUR case needs. The only way to do this is to actually interview DUI Attorney in Orange County. This shouldn’t be a problem as most DUI attorneys in Orange County do offer a free telephonic consultation. Those that do not offer a free telephonic consultation or who insist that you come to their office should be avoided.

A good DUI lawyer should be willing to talk extensively with you over the phone about your case. The DUI Attorney should be able to formulate an initial plan, telling you up front what services your case will need, whether they will also represent you at the DMV, and what he or she will charge for those services. For example, the DUI lawyer should tell you up front whether the blood sample should be retested, whether subpoenas will need to be issued, whether witness will need to be interviewed, the possible need for a private investigator and the likelihood of litigating any suppression motion. You should not pay for a trial or for an expert witness up front because there is a good chance that your case will not to trial. However, a DUI lawyer should tell you up front what he or she will charge if your case does go to trial. But this also requires some flexibility on your part. If, for example, during the course of representation, your DUI lawyer determines that hiring a private investigator is necessary, you should not balk at the prospect of paying for it.

At The Law Offices of EJ Stopyro we happily provide a lengthy free and confidential telephonic consultation and initial plan, including costs of all services that will be or may become necessary in your case. Call us at (949) 559-5500 for your free telephonic consultation. You can also visit our website at www.EJEsquire.com for attorney credentials, case results, and information about the charges you are facing. We have meeting offices throughout Orange County for convenience to our clients. Our main office is at 32072 Camino Capistrano, 2^nd floor, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Orange County DUI Attorneys