What Should You Be Paying for DUI Defense?

Paying for legal services is one of the hardest things people do. Whether a Seattle DUI defense attorney, a divorce lawyer, or a business attorney, paying for legal services is hard because there is so much that goes on unseen. For many, they pay a lawyer what seems like a lot of money, they don't do any work, the case is resolved, and though it probably turned out in your favor, you feel a little bit cheated because you feel like you overpaid for the work.

Hopefully this article dispels a little bit of that fear, at least if you need a Seattle DUI attorney to help you out. Because I agree that you shouldn't feel like you overpaid, but it is important to recognize what you are getting and what is at stake when you hire a criminal attorney. A lot is on the line, you are paying for someone to come to bat for you, and that often isn't cheap.

Criminal defense is a lot like going into surgery. A lot can go wrong. It can turn out very badly for you. But if it doesn't, and you end up fine, you often don't fully understand what happened, why you came out okay, or what effort was required to get the desired result. All you know is it turned out the way you want. And that is exactly what you are paying for.

The world of criminal defense, and in particular DUI defense, is interesting because so much does go on behind the scenes. It all starts with your police report, and the errors and omissions it contains. What you are paying us to do is comb through that report, find the errors contained within, and use that information to get you out of trouble. But a lot of it is legal theory. And a lot of it is phone calls to the prosecutor letting them know how weak your case is. All you get is a phone call from us telling you we got you a good offer.

So, what should you paying? The bad thing is, there is no precise answer to this question. It depends on your case, your financial abilities, and the kind of DUI defense you want. I've written about the three different types of Seattle DUI attorney that are out there, and each has its plusses and minuses. The key is making sure you don't pick on price alone. If you go cheap, you're going to get what you pay for.

Hiring a criminal defense attorney, and a DUI defense attorney in particular, is an important decision. Your reputation, your freedom, and your finances are on the line. Do you really want to hire the cheapest guy just to save a few bucks? Would you hire the cheapest heart surgeon?