An important question, which you will ask the Criminal Defense Attorney Tampa FL you intend to hire, is “how much will this whole thing will cost me!” Without any complex stuff, the following is a low down on how a criminal defense lawyer charges for the service they offer. All accompanied by a few important factors:

Probable Complexity of Case: Criminal Attorneys charge more if it is a felony rather than a misdemeanor. It is because felonies are severe and have strict penalties. They demand more court appearances and need detailed preparation.

Lawyer Experience: It is a fact that inexperienced lawyers tend to charge less as compared to their experienced counterpart. However, when you meet someone with a surprisingly low hour rate, it can be misleading. An experienced lawyer with high hourly rates can resolve your case in less time with a satisfactory result as compared to a novice who charges you almost nothing. To sum up: experience proves less expensive in the long run.

Hourly Billing

Defendants billed by the hour pay for the actual time their Criminal Defense Attorney Tampa FL devote for the case; for instance, $200 per hour. They can also pay for the lawyer’s expenses that they incur during representation. This includes copying fees, subpoena fees and other fees. From a defendants point of view, the followings are the pros and cons of it.

Pros: Defendants who are paying by the hour enjoy the benefit of getting a positive conclusion quickly.

Cons: In the event of the case becoming complicated, it can become costly. Adding up, paying by the hour gives the attorney financial incentive to devote more time to the case if assured that the defendant is prepared to pay. This is why most Criminal Defense Attorney Tampa FL set minimum retainer fees they keep even if the case can be easily resolved with only a phone call.

Given the fact that experienced attorneys can anticipate how many hours they will spend on a case, a defendant should only agree to pay for an hourly rate if the attorney gives good faith estimate for how much time will be spend.

Case Billing

There are also lawyers who charge by the case and represent defendants for a fixed price. For example, the fee can be set anywhere between $2500-4500 for a defendant charged with drunk driving. In this case, the fee will not change depending on how many hours are spent on the case. As with this hourly system, this too has its highs and lows, which are described below:

Pros: The defendants know what they are going to pay while attorney is bearing the risk of unforeseen problems.

Cons: This system can leave you thinking you paid for having a trial or simply overpaid. With case billing, the defendant can be ripped off if the case settles fast. If that is the case, you may get a considerable refund from your attorney, but that is not granted. In addition, the fee may only cover pretrial phase, and the lawyer can ask for an additional fees for trying the case.