How Much Does a DUI Lawyer Cost?

As you have probably already found from your own research attorney fees for handling a drunk driving case in Michigan vary considerably. We have found that for a first offense OWI / OUIL / UBAL / DUI attorney fees range from a low of about $500.00 to as high as $25,000.00. For felony drunk driving the fees may be much higher, and for an OWI Causing Death or Serious Injury the fees may be as high as $75,000.00 to $100,000.00.

You may wonder why there is such a vast difference in these fees, and the answer is based primarily on two things: (1) time the lawyer expects to spend defending your case, and; (2) lawyer's hourly rate.

Lawyers that charge at the low-end of the fee range expect to simply take their clients into court and plead them guilty at their first opportunity. This saves a great deal of time because these lawyers do not obtain the police reports before court, and spend no time in preparation. It is also true that these lawyers often do not have much experience or expertise, and therefore that their billing rates are much lower than lawyers who do have advanced training and experience.

At the Barone Defense Firm we have several different billing rates, and these are based primarily on the experience and expertise of the lawyer you choose to represent you. Contact our office to learn more about our fees and what we can do to help you with your Michigan drunk driving case.

There are rules of ethics in Michigan that apply to the scheduling of attorney fees, and the types of fees that are available. For example, a Michigan lawyer may not charge a contingency fee in a criminal matter. That leaves either hourly rates or flat fees.

At the Barone Defense Firm we use only flat fees, and we do so because after more than two decades of practice we have found that clients like flat fees better. With a flat fee you will know exactly what it will cost you to retain our office. The fees are usually broken down into pretrial fees and trial fees, and the fee we quote at the outset of your case is the only attorney fee you will pay. There will be no surprises and no unforeseen bills.

Michigan's rules of professional conduct provide that all of the following factors may be considered in determining the reasonableness of the fee charged:

1. the time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved, and the skill requisite to perform the legal service properly;
2. the likelihood, if apparent to the client, that the acceptance of the particular employment will preclude other employment by the lawyer;
3. the time limitations imposed by the client or by the circumstances;
4. the experience, reputation, and ability of the lawyer or lawyers performing the services.

At the Barone Defense Firm our fees are fairly based on all of the above factors. If you'd like to learn more about our fees, and what we can do to help you obtain a great result in your case, then call us today or contact us via the internet for your FREE confidential case evaluation. We look forward to speaking with you.

Get a FREE confidential CASE EVALUATION on your Michigan OWI/OWVI/DUI by calling 248-306-9158, or filling out this consultation request form. Call now, there's no obligation!