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How Much Does a Lawyer Charge for a DUI Case?(best guide)

How Much Does a Lawyer Charge for a DUI Case?

So the cops pulled you over after downing several bottles on that fun-filled evening or the party that was. You just blew in more than 0.08% into that breathalyzer and boom! the officers charged you with a DUI or DWI. How much does a lawyer charge for a DUI or DWI case? what are the differences between a DIU and a DWI? How will a car accident defense lawyer help you if you caused a car accident while drunk driving?

What are the levels of blood alcohol content (BAC) beyond which a driver will be charged with a DUI or DWI? Are DUI charges for adults the same as for teenage drivers and truck drivers? How about BAC minimum levels? Under what circumstances will you be charged with felon DUI?

Driving under influence or DUI simply refers to when a driver is under the influence of alcohol or substance abuse. On the other hand, DWI refers to driving while intoxicated or impaired.

In the USA, an adult driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) should not exceed 0.08% or 0.04% for truck drivers. If you are an under-21-year-old driver, your blood alcohol content should not go beyond 0.01%.

It is an offense to drive under the influence. If you were caught drunk driving, you could be charged with a DUI, or at worst a felon if your DUI resulted in car accidents in which people lost lives. A Felon is any offense that is punishable by a death sentence or jail time of more than 12 months. what about if your blood alcohol content level does not exceed the limits above?

You could still be charged if your blood alcohol content exceeds 0.00% but traffic officers will declare you driving while impaired should your levels exceed 0.08% for ordinary drivers, 0.04% for truck drivers, and more than 0.01% for young drivers.

 Want to know if you should hire a lawyer after being convicted of a DUI? Please go through the article contents below and look at only sections that may be of your interest. Alright, here we go.

Page Contents

How Much Does a Lawyer Charge for a DUI Case?

According to current data, more than 32 people in the USA die daily due to drunk driving cases. Doing simple maths shows that there is at least one DUI case death after every 45 minutes in the USA alone. 

According to UK drunk driving statistics, there were 28,171  drunk driving convictions in the year 2020. In the same year, at least 140,000 drivers in the UK admitted to driving over the blood alcohol content limit. There were also more than 4,640 accidents in the UK related to drunk driving in the year 2020.

Gotten a DUI or DWI? you will almost pay fines and charges and also, you face the prospect of having your driving license suspended or revoked! In Florida, you only have 10 days of filing for the administrative measure to escape having your license suspended. 

The charges of a DUI case depend on the following:

  • Is it your first offense or subsequent DUI charges
  • Are you a truck driver or not?
  • Are you a young driver or an adult driver
  • State the driver comes from
  • Is your lawyer inexperienced or a respected veteran attorney?
  • The gravity of the DUI cases

How much does it cost to fight a DUI?

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According to my independent study, an inexperienced attorney usually charges between $1,500 and $2,100 to defend a DUI case. Lawyers with intermediate experience and reputations usually will charge between $2,500 and $3,700. Finally, the most reputable and experienced veteran lawyers will ask you to pay between $4,000 and $7,500.

If you committed a felon DUI, then your charges are higher. An inexperienced and less reputable lawyer will charge between $2,000 and $3,000 to defend you for a felon DUI. lawyers with intermediate experiences and reputations usually charge between $3,500 and $5,000. If you decided to go with the most experienced and reputable lawyer, be ready to pay between $5,000 and $10,000.

 

Going to court for DUI without a lawyer

Yes you can go to court without a DUI lawyer but chances are, you may not succeed. For instance, do you know why the cops wrongly pulled you over? can you identify a fake police report or not? could you easily tell me the loopholes in the traffic report? Are you well versed with the traffic laws of your state, and possible penalties?

What types of evidence are used in DUI cases? Much evidence is used to convict a person of DUI. These include; police reports, video footage, eyewitnesses, chemical tests, statements you made during arrest, officer testimonies, and others. If you are smart enough and you can easily ‘punch holes’ into the pieces of evidence that are pinning you, then you do not need a lawyer to defend you.

Do you need a lawyer for a DUI charge?

DUI charges could escalate especially if there is a likelihood of felony charges. You could be facing the prospect of a death sentence if your DUI caused the deaths of innocent people. If you caused a car accident in which people lost lives, punishing you by death solves nothing so you may need a lawyer to fight for you.

Lawyers are smart and know all the tricks they use to trash or undermine every piece of evidence brought against you. For instance, a DUI lawyer could help you through the following:

1. The police officer while being cross-examined by your defense lawyer could utter statements that contradict what is in the police report.

2. Eyewitnesses usually do not remember all the facts and usually make mistakes that could be taken advantage of by your DUI lawyers. Lawyers know better how to achieve this.

3. Police reports usually have errors and these will only be discovered by your DUI lawyer.

4. Video footage. The police officer could have stated that you stumbled or slurred your words. Probably the video shows otherwise.

5. Physical evidence. Having beer bottles in your car or bottles of drugs does not directly indicate you were under influence. Probably there were just open bottles.

6. Statements made during your arrest. If the statements were made when you were not informed of your rights, your lawyer could help you trash such pieces of evidence.

Can my lawyer go to court for me for DUI?

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If you caused a car accident under DUI, and you or your car insurance is currently negotiating with the defendant (claimant), your case could settle without the need to go to court. According to data, at least 1 to 2% of DUI cases go to trial, whereas other small numbers of cases are dismissed.

Should your DUI case go to trial, having a lawyer on your side increases the chances of having the case dismissed, or getting reduced fines and penalties. All criminal cases including a DUI are best navigated and handled by lawyers.

How much is a DUI attorney in Florida?

Hiring an attorney costs money. In Florida, you will pay attorney DUI fees between $2,500 to over $6,000. A bail bond could be worth between $100-3000, and other costs could be somewhere between $400 to $700.

How much is a DUI lawyer in California?

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Hiring a lawyer for DUI or DWI cases increases the chances of winning the case, reducing charges, or altogether getting the case dismissed. Though attorney fees depend on many things like if it’s likely to be a felony or not, if the case is likely to go to trial or not or your state traffic laws and so many factors.

A DUI lawyer in California will most likely charge you between $400 and $900 per hour. You should definitely try your luck by contacting at least 3 law firms and then comparing rates.

In summary, DUI lawyers charge differently for DUI cases. Inexperienced and less reputable lawyers charge DUI cases between $1,500 and $2,100, whereas most experienced and veteran lawyers will charge you between $4,000 and $7,500.