What Does it Cost to Hire an Attorney?
If you're looking to hire an experienced criminal attorney for you or for someone you know, you may be wondering how much it's going to cost.
Now, the traditional way that most people retain lawyers for legal services is to pay an hourly rate. It could be $250 an hour, $300 an hour. They would have to put up a large retainer up front. The lawyer would earn those fees upon the work performed. Now, if the client—if their retainer runs out or the client can no longer pay the attorney's fees, then that attorney will just simply withdrawal from the case. In criminal cases, most attorneys prefer not to do an hourly rate. Most attorneys will perform for a fixed, flat fee. So, a lot of advantages in criminal law is to give a client a fixed, flat fee. It allows the client to know upfront what they have to budget for a criminal defense case.
Now, keep in mind that most criminal defense cases get resolved by a plea agreement. Over 90% of cases get resolved by a plea agreement. And, it's a lawyer's job to go through a case, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a case and use that information to negotiate the best plea agreement possible for their client. Or, they'll review the case to find out what legal reasons might exist to get a case dismissed. If a lawyer can do all that, they'll earn their fee and get a case resolved.
But, another reason why criminal trial lawyers prefer to get fixed, flat fees is that they don't want the cost of going to trial to be the determining factor whether their client will accept a plea agreement or not. It takes the cost of going to trial out of the equation.
So, when I take on a client, I quote them a fixed, flat fee. They know that I will stand behind during all stages of the proceedings. From the beginning of the arraignment all the way to judgment and sentencing until their case is concluded. How much it's going to cost, that all depends, but it depends on the seriousness of the case, it depends on the background of the defendant, all those things are considered in giving a defendant, a potential client, a cost, a quote on what the flat fee will be to represent them.
So, if you have a criminal case and you want to find out what it cost to hire an attorney or myself, please give my office a call. Let's find out if your case is something we can help you with. Call my office at 928-753-6868 or visit my website at HampLaw.com.
