HOW MUCH WILL MY CASE COST?

​YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

If you are looking to hire a Santa Rosa DUI attorney, the fees that are charged will have an influence on who you choose. You should be looking at the attorney’s level of education, reputation, skill and experience. Attorneys who specialize in DUI defense are more likely to understand the complex nature of these types of cases, as well as the number of years in practice.

For example, attorneys who regularly practice in a particular geographic area will know the court system and will probably have a solid reputation among judges and prosecutors. These types of lawyers charge higher fees than others, but are worth the additional expense. Attorney fees for a Santa Rosa DUI lawyer will be based on the quality ofthe defense that you receive.

If you needed to have brain surgery would you necessarily shop around and take the lowest bid?  Nm because it’s just too important a decision to risk being benny wise and pound foolish!

ATTORNEY FEES FOR DUI DEFENSE IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Lawyers whose fees are at the low end of the scale often have volume practices, like ticket defense lawyersor a mill. They will not have the level of experience and qualifications needed to effectively defend serious criminal charges, including DUI matters. Lawyers who say they will “match or beat any fee quote” are to be avoided. Professional legal defense isn’ta used car sales business.

The better and more qualified lawyers are those who,like ourselves:

-Belong to professional organizations and attend seminars regularly & keep on top of all cutting edge changes in the law.

-Are in court regularly and argue the law, write articles about criminal law practice &teach seminars to attorneys, write cutting edge Blogs & speak to public & civic groups about criminal topics.

-We had a radio station spot dedicated solely to “Justice Gone Wild” on KSRO Radio-Sonoma & Marin Counties.

-Regularly write and argue suppression motions and win trials.

– We’ve recently had two consecutive criminal defense acquittals.

I’M READY TO MEET WITH A LAWYER. WHAT NOW?

The Initial Consult: What to Expect from the Lawyer

Most criminal defense lawyers should inquire about your prior criminal history and what you expect from them. They will review the facts of your case and spot the legal issues and defenses that may be available. They will lay out the legal process in court and what you can expect over the course of their representation.  Most criminal defense lawyers will assess your likelihood of success and explore suchvariables as the experience and professionalism of law enforcement’s role in your case, and the attitudes of the judge and prosecutor who will be handling and hearing your case.

Should I Bring Anything to My First Meeting?

If you have a police report, an incident report, or anything from another attorney involving your case, bring it. In a DUI case, bring any court papers from any prior criminal cases. Also, bring a copy of your traffic historyor your DMV printout. Many criminal defense lawyers will ask you to bring your “arrest paperwork” from the police and from the jail discharge paperwork and even your bail documents.  We can save you money on your bail even after the fact so it is worth consulting with a Santa Rosa criminal defense attorney.

Often, people get a feeling of confidence and trust from an attorney in their first meeting and retain the lawyer right then and there. Oftentimes, people need to sort through several lawyers to find the right one. Pick the lawyer that you want to say the things that you would say in court if you were the lawyer representing you.

Avoid Lawyers Who Make Promises of any Outcomeespecially without first learning all of the facts and circumstances of your case.

Shy away from the lawyer who promises a particular result in your case. Don’t feel pressured to make a decision. Any lawyer that pressures you into hiring him or her may not have your best interests at heart.

How are Legal Fees and Costs Paid?

Our law firm only takes a set number of cases at a time so that we can give each case and client the individualized attention and care that they need and deserve.  Therefore we charge a flat fee so that you know up front the exact cost because nobody likes surprises.  Because we only take a limited number of criminal defense cases at one time your retainer is a “True Retainer” and it is non-refundable, but it is fixed, so we can’t charge you anymore for the same case.

We offer a payment plan but insist upon half of the final retainer to be paid upfront before your first court date.  The final payment will be arranged to be paid usually within 30 days of the first payment.

Costs and expenses that are associated with your criminal defense case, such as expert fees, process servers, jury fees, fees for records et al. are separate and apart from the retainer.  This retainer is placed in a separate attorney client trust account for your case and if it is exhausted it will need to be replenished.  Any unused portion of this cost/expense retainer that is not used during the representation of your criminal law case will be promptly returned to you upon the conclusion of your case.  You will also receive a cost accounting statement to explain how the fees were spent on your behalf.

Please call our office today at (707) 571-8600 in our centrally located Santa Rosa office in Sonoma County or call our office in San Rafael in Marin County at (415) 492-4507 to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation.