Unlike a trip to your barber, an attorney isn’t going to charge a flat rate for their services. The total cost of an attorney is going to depend on several different factors. Today, we explain some of the common factors that determine how much money you can expect to spend on your legal services.
Cost of a Lawyer
The total cost of a lawyer depends on several factors:
Your Case – The biggest factor in determining the cost of your attorney is what you’re asking him to do. For example, hiring an attorney to get you out of an assault charge is going to cost more than paying an attorney to draft your will.
Time – Another big factor is how much time your attorney will need to spend reviewing, prepping and fighting your case. An attorney isn’t going to need to do much homework to defend a speeding ticket, but other crimes like a DUI take a lot more heavy lifting on the attorney’s end. Your attorney will be able to give you an idea of how much time they’ll need to invest in your case at the initial consultation.
Communication – Similar to the above point, if you are in constant communication with your attorney, your bill is going to increase because he or she is devoting more time to your case. Discuss how often you’d like to be updated on your case at the outset so you aren’t surprised by your “time billed” down the road.
Experience – The more experienced a lawyer is, the more money he or she is going to cost. Going to an inexperienced or cheaper lawyer may save you money at the outset, but if they can’t secure a ruling that a more seasoned attorney could, you might end up paying more or getting a worse sentence in the end. Speak with your attorney about their experience handling cases similar to yours.
Size – This also boils down to experience, but big law firms typically charge more than smaller law firms. The bigger boys may be able to throw more eyes at the problem, but sometimes it’s better to have one attorney solely dedicated to your case than to have a few attorneys who are juggling a bunch of other cases trying to sift through your case.
In all, we can’t sit back and say, “You will pay exactly this much” for an attorney to handle your criminal case because the above factors all play a significant role. Your best bet is to sit down with an attorney at a free consultation to get a gauge on what you can expect to pay.
