What are the consequences and cost of a DUI
DUI Costs – Cost of a DUI – How Much Is a DUI?
The cost of a DUI conviction today is very significant, with total costs potentially $10,000 or more. These expenses are not immediately apparent as your DUI case progresses. Long-term DUI costs will present themselves over the next few years and beyond. The short-term expenses include your DUI attorney fees, court fines, DUI school tuition, bail bond costs, travel costs to and from the court, expert witness fees, loss of income from time off from work, ignition interlock device installation and monthly service fees, and car insurance rate increases. Down the road, a DUI conviction can limit the amount of income you make because you may be sentenced to jail and lose your current job, and potential future employers may turn you down because of a DUI on your criminal record. Your spouse may file for divorce, and the fees of a good divorce attorney are significant. Plus if you do get divorced, you now have to pay separate rent or a second mortgage, child support, and the expenses of maintaining two separate households. If you are applying for college, some colleges could deny you admission because of a DUI conviction.
If you are a commercial driver with a CDL license, you may lose your license and thus your livelihood. And it will become more difficult to get another job driving a tractor-trailer or a school bus. If you face driver’s license suspension long-term, you will have to rely on Uber® and Lyft® or mass transportation to get around town. Your Uber® bill alone could run hundreds of dollars per month. You cannot rent a car with a suspended license, and you cannot drive someone else’s car without the risk of going back to jail. DO NOT drive on a suspended license, even to go 1 mile to the grocery store. If you are pulled over or involved in an auto accident, your driver’s license will be run through the officer’s computer and you will be put in handcuffs in front of other drivers and pedestrians.
DUI Fines – DUI Lawyer Fees – DUI Court Fees
A top DUI lawyer will work a lot of hours building a strong DUI defense for you, and will also be in court possibly all day on more than one occasion. One of our DUI attorneys can go to court without you and represent you in front of the judge, but you are legally required to be in court to enter your final plea. A DUI attorney can enter an initial plea of not guilty at your first court appearance, called a DUI arraignment. If you decide you eventually want a jury trial, your attorney’s fees will be more. Also if your attorney hires expert witnesses to refute police evidence, these fees are passed onto you. Every top DUI law firm will have DUI lawyers who can be retained for varying levels of legal fees, so do not be intimidated by a well-known, “high-powered” law firm and think your budget will not match up. Some law firms offer payment plans – you should always ask what financial options are available to you.
You may be asking yourself, “Should I hire a DUI lawyer?” The choice is yours, and we strongly recommend that if you do not hire a private DUI attorney, you ask the court to appoint a public defender. This is way better than walking into your DUI arraignment and pleading guilty as charged. The tidal wave of DUI penalties that come right after a DUI conviction can overwhelm you. These consequences can include jail time even if the judge gives you credit for the time you already served in jail. To get a full and sobering idea of the long list of DUI consequences, please read Atlanta DUI lawyer William C. Head’s “97 Consequences of a DUI Conviction” at his website DrunkDrivingDefense.com.
DUI Attorney Fees – How Much Does a DUI Lawyer Cost? – DWI Cost – DWI Attorney Fees
DWI cost in states that charge you with “Driving While Intoxicated” instead of “Driving Under the Influence” is just as high as DUI cost. Your DWI cost will vary by state, and of course, be determined by what traffic offenses you are charged with. Are you facing a misdemeanor DWI or a felony DWI? Is this your first DUI, or your second DUI or more? How high was your blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of the arrest? Was anyone injured or killed? As you might expect, the cost of a second DWI and a third DWI rises dramatically. Multiple DWI offenders can be almost guaranteed a lengthy jail sentence, an ignition interlock device on their car, probation costs, loss of income, and skyrocketed car insurance rates – if they can get an insurance company to insure them at all. The worst thing you can do while your first DWI case is pending is to drink and drive and get arrested for another DWI. Unfortunately, this happens, and our top DWI attorneys confidently tackle even the most difficult cases.