I know that you would understand that I am hesitant to get a lawyer to defend me on my DUI case in Los Angeles, California because I feel that it will be expensive for me to hire one. Could you tell me how much should I expect to pay a lawyer to represent me in my DUI case?

Aiza
Los Angeles, CA

Every DUI lawyer has something to offer that would set him/her apart from the others. For some lawyers, it would be low fees and for the others, it would be an exceptional reputation and high skills to match. It is a fact in life that you wouldn’t have to find both traits in the same lawyer. If you are looking for low fees to help you on your DUI case in Los Angeles, California, then don’t expect the lawyer to have exceptionally high skills.

In general, DUI defense lawyers charge an upfront flat fee pretrial retainer than billing by the hour like civil law attorneys do. Some lawyers have a hybrid fee structure which would credit the retainer against the hourly billing, but most retainers would simply cover everything needed short of trial. For a big-name DUI lawyer, with a state-wide reputation, you could expect to pay $3500 to $7000 or more for a misdemeanor DUI retainer, and that depends on the location and the lawyer’s reputation. It would also vary if you have one or more prior convictions within seven years because if that is the case, you could expect to pay more. In general the retainer fee would cover both the DMV hearing and the court case, except for trial, which is generally billed additional.