DUI Attorney Fee Agreements

If you are charged with DUI, you should contact and hire an experienced DUI attorney who will handle your case from start to finish. Driving under the influence of alcohol is a criminal offense, which means you can face some fairly stiff penalties if convicted, including serving jail or prison time.

It’s impossible to say how much an average DUI attorney would cost as fees vary greatly depending on location, experience of the attorney, complexity of your case, and many other factors, but there are some basics that you, as the client, should make sure are covered in any fee agreement with your DUI attorney.

The fee agreement is simply the contract between you and the attorney that spells out what services you are paying for and at what rate; although you may feel uncomfortable with signing something like this, it really exists to protect your rights as well as those of the lawyer’s, so it’s in your best interest to get the clearest agreement possible.

In any event, most states actually require such a written agreement between anyone accused of a crime and his or her lawyer, so if you have been charged with a felony or misdemeanor DUI, you are likely to see a fee agreement from your lawyer as well.

Basic Provisions of DUI Attorney Fee Agreements

What follows are some basic provisions that should be included in a DUI representation fee agreement; the list is not exhaustive, however, so the specifics of your case may result in other information being included in a fee agreement:

1. Fee structure and payment schedule.

2. The charges against you, date of arrest, and other pertinent information regarding the case.

3. The lawyer or law firm’s responsibilities involved with representation.

4. Your responsibilities, if any, aside from payment.

5. The starting and ending points of representation.
Be sure you read the fee agreement carefully and make sure you understand everything before signing it.