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How Much Will I Pay?

Unlike civil attorneys, most criminal defense firms may not have set fees for the different services provided.

Whether an attorney charges a small fee, or a huge sum of money will depend on what’s reasonable when considering the circumstances of the case

Rule 1.04(b) sets forth the following.

Factors that may be considered in determining the reasonableness of a fee include, but not to the exclusion of other relevant factors:

  1. The time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved, and the skill requisite to perform the legal service properly.
  2. The likelihood, if apparent to the client, that the acceptance of the particular employment will preclude other employment by the lawyer.
  3. The fee that is customarily charged in the locality for similar legal services.
  4. The amount involved, and the results obtained.
  5. The time limitations imposed by the client or by the circumstances.
  6. The nature and length of the professional relationship with the client.
  7. The experience, reputation, and ability of the lawyer or lawyers performing the services; and
  8. Whether the fee is fixed or contingent on results obtained or uncertainty of collection before the legal services have been rendered.

The cost of representation can often be the ultimate factor in determining who to hire as counsel.

Clients often find themselves changing employment due to the nature of the charge, pretrial confinement or strict conditions of a court-ordered condition of posting bail bond which makes their current work no longer feasible.

If a lawyer’s fee is outside your price range, there are still options available to you.

Ask the attorney about potentially limiting the scope of representation, setting up a payment plan, or where to seek financial assistance.

Next, we’ll look at signing an agreement with an attorney.

CategoryCriminal Law
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