There are severe consequences when one is convicted or accused of a criminal act. A huge part of this would be finding a criminal defense attorney. Not only you fall into this difficult and stressful situation but searching for a good criminal defense lawyer is high-priced and costly.
You must consult first a criminal defense attorney if you have been under arrest or suspicion. These types of attorneys will direct your way to be released from this criminal act. It is a struggle to find a defense attorney but you must hire the best to help you with your case.
When looking for a criminal defense attorney, aside from their competency, experience, and reputation, you will look into their rates and fees before deciding to hire them. The cost, of course, is one of the factors you consider when looking for an attorney.
To give you an idea of how much a criminal defense lawyer would amount, understand first what are you paying them for and what are the factors that can affect their rates.
Factors That Affect Rates
The attorney’s fees include the following: the attorney’s skill, experience, how severe the offense is, the complexity of the legal issues in the case, the time spent by the attorney working on the case, the delegation of tasks to law clerks, and whether if the case goes to trial (which requires court appearances), geography, and personal income.
 Skill and Experience. As expected, reputable lawyers who have gained several experiences and won many cases would be more expensive. There are cheaper rates but this only means less experience.
To find out how if the lawyer is reputable then it is best to find their credibility through their previous clients’ comments and their skill during the first consultation especially on how they carry themselves. People from McCormack Law PC can provide reviews. This way, you know that your money you are going to spend on the attorney will not go to waste.
Complexity of the Case. Before a lawyer accepts a case, they tend to consider how complicated and serious the criminal act is because they can charge more if it is a felony. After all, it has more penalties and court appearances. Although they charge less for misdemeanors because there is less time and work for it.
Geography. Depending on where you live or where your case is being held, attorneys’ fees and rates may vary.
Personal Income. The defendant’s income does depend on how a criminal defense attorney costs because it seeks if the income is eligible for an attorney appointed by the court. These qualifications will depend on whether they will get a public defender or if the defendant can hire their own.
The lawyer you chose can also hire investigators and witnesses to improve the credibility of your evidence. For example, the attorney will hire a psychologist to prove the defendant’s insanity.
Types of Billing
The lawyer’s billing has two types: hourly billing and case billing.
Hourly billing is billed by the hour whenever the lawyer works on the case. It also depends on how much the lawyer charges per hour but on average it costs $200 an hour. Though some clients pay about $100 to $150 an hour and some go all out and pay $300 to $350 an hour.
Though there are other additional expenses such as subpoena fees, copying fees, and more. An advantage of hourly billing would be if the case finishes quickly then the client gets to save more if he considered the flat fee. However, of course, the disadvantage of this would be if the time gets lengthy then the case gets costly.
The second type of billing is case billing. It is the opposite of hourly billing because it is a fixed fee. The lawyer can charge $1,500 for a criminal act and the fee will not increase nor decrease and of course, it also has advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage of case billing is that there is a certainty because of experience, they know how much the cost will be. However, a disadvantage of this would be if the case finishes quickly, then the client may feel like they have overpaid for that certain case because they cannot change the said fee no matter how quick and less complex the case is.
There is also another type called a flat fee. A flat fee is common for a simple misdemeaning offense like being charged for a speeding ticket. A flat fee usually occurs around $1,000 to $3,000.
This is not commonly used. Some lawyers would use this billing technique on specific cases like DWI or simple infractions.
You would also hear about retainer fees, this applies to both the hourly billing and the case billing. Some lawyers want their clients to pay upfront before they begin the case.
For example, for hourly billing, the lawyer charges $200 dollars an hour therefore, the lawyer will have to ask the client to pay $2,000 upfront to start working on the case for 20 hours. And the lawyer should assure the client of the hours that they have been spending time to work on the case.
