How much does it cost to hire a DWI Lawyer? A record can cost you more than just your reputation, it can drain your finances. From attorney fees to court fees, legal trouble has long-term consequences.
How much the DUI attorney will actually cost will depend mainly on two factors: what type of resolution you want and the severity of your case. The more complex your DUI case is, the more time the DUI attorney will invest in your case, the more time spent in preparing your case, the more it will cost. For example, if you hire a DUI attorney to simply negotiate a plea bargain, the cost for DUI plea are significantly lower. If you want to contest your DUI case with a trial, the DUI attorney will need to charge more.
Shawn McDonald from SMB Criminal Defense Lawyers shares exactly what attorney costs you can expect for a DWI charge in Texas. For a first time DWI offender to pay court fees, fines, and legal representation, it will cost upwards of $10,000. As the anti increases with more severe charges, such as a felony, that number can double or triple. Do you think challenging a felony charge is worth it? Considering the damage to your ability to acquire housing, get a job, have credit and much more you might find it’s worth the fight. If you have questions about your case, schedule a free consultation with us.
Video Transcript
Interviewer: “How much does it cost to hire a lawyer to defend each one of those? And does the price differentiate depending on what level it is or what class it is?”
Shawn McDonald: “It definitely matters. I mean, if you have a… if someone… let me back up. Your first time DWI Class B Misdemeanor, between attorney’s fees, fine, court cost, if you’re placed on probation, you’re looking at north of ten thousand dollars. That’s including everything.”
Interviewer: “That sounds…”
Shawn McDonald: “Class A Misdemeanor, you’re going to be pretty close to that. When you start getting into felony… Attorney’s fees are going to be roughly ten thousand dollars, plus all the other fees associated with up to ten years of probation. Plus you have a felony conviction. So felony convictions are devastating to a person’s life. So you can not get a deferred on a DWI. So…”
Amanda Bolin: “That’s going to change though. We should talk about that.”
Shawn McDonald: “So when you get a felony DWI, if you were to plea to probation, you’re a convicted felon. You lose your right to possess a handgun. You lose your right to vote. It’s going to be on your criminal record. Many people won’t hire a convicted felon. So those cases… typically you are going to fight a lot harder because they are… you know, a Misdemeanor DWI is not a huge deal.”
Interviewer: “Yeah, you don’t want the felony on your record.”
Shawn McDonald: “That’s exactly right. So…”
Interviewer: “You can’t get apartments.”
Shawn McDonald: “Absolutely.”
Interviewer: “You can’t get jobs, you can’t get approved for credit, you can’t get anything.”
Amanda Bolin: “You can’t carry your weapon.”
Interviewer: “That’s a big one.”
Shawn McDonald: “That’s right. So then you start hiring experts and you start spending the money because the effects of that felony conviction are devastating. So then it starts getting expensive.”
Interviewer: “That’s going to be upwards of twenty to thirty.”
Shawn McDonald: “Oh, for sure.”
Interviewer: “Minimum.”
Shawn McDonald: “Absolutely. And it’s, you know, you have to fight those. I mean those are the ones you have to try.”
Interviewer: “And that’s still not a guarantee you’re going to get it dropped either.”
Shawn McDonald: “No, no.”
Amanda Bolin: “No.”
Disclaimer
*This blog post “How much does it cost to hire a DWI Lawyer?” is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.