Why Breaking The Law Is Not Worth The Finances
Breaking the law does not pay. In fact, it impacts negatively on one’s finance. When a person gets into trouble, he or she hires a lawyer to represent him or her in court. It is only through this that one can ensure that he or she is treated fairly. Before hiring a lawyer, it is advisable that one understands how lawyers charge for their services and cost of their service. Apart from that, it is also important for one to find out how much he or she will pay as court fees. This way, one can have an idea of how much it will cost him or her to get out of trouble.
How Attorneys are Paid
There are several ways through which lawyers charge their fees. Some lawyers require their clients to pay by the hour. In this type of payment plan, the lawyer keeps track of the number of hours he or she works on the case. The total payment is then calculated by multiplying the number of hours with the hourly rate.
The hourly rates vary significantly from one attorney to the next. In small towns, the rates range between $100 and $200 per hour. In major cities and metropolitan areas, the rates can be as high as $400 per hour. Ultimately, one ends up paying a lot of money for the services he or she receives.
In some cases, lawyers ask for a lump-sum fee. This form of payment is very popular. It involves agreeing with the lawyer on a fixed fee, which does not change regardless of the number of hours that he or she works on the case. It is ideal for difficult cases that require a lot of involvement.
Contingency payment is also another alternative that lawyers give. In this form of payment, the lawyer is not paid anything, unless a certain outcome is achieved. As much as this is a win-win situation, the fee is normally higher that in the other forms of payment.
Cost of Hiring a Lawyer
The cost of hiring a lawyer differs depending on jurisdiction and the kind of charges that have been filed against the defendant. A lawyer will normally require a larger retainer if the case is complex. However, there are many other factors that are usually in play when determining the cost for representation. For instance, a relatively minor case can attract a larger fee if the lawyer has to get expert witnesses or engage in extensive motion practice.
For a misdemeanor case, the lawyer can charge between $1000 and $2000. Felony charges attract a higher legal fee, ranging between $5000 and $10,000. If the case is more serious, such as sexual assault or homicide, the fee can go up to $25,000. Therefore, one gets to part with quite a large sum of money, regardless of the kind of charges leveled against him or her.
Court Fees
Apart from paying lawyer fees, one is also required to handle the court fees. This fee usually finances the court process and has to be paid. In small cases such as shoplifting, the court can waive the court fees and instead fine the defendant. However, in most cases one is required to pay the court fees if he or she is found guilty. Court fees differ from one locality to another and range between $150 and $200, per mediation or per day, depending on the kind of case and type of court.
Other Costs
Apart from attorney and court fees, one also gets to put his or her work on hold during the proceedings. This contributes to loss of income. Ultimately, breaking the law is not worth the money used to finance one’s defense.
Author Bio
Andrew Deen is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to the field of law. In this article, he describes the fees associated with breaking the law and aims to encourage continued analysis of this field, like the work of The California Innocence Project.
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Category: Law, Legal Problems
