Have you heard of the joke about lawyers being one of the professions which do not have a chance in heaven?
That’s right. Attorneys have that seemingly odd reputation that even them got so used to it, it has become a subject of silly jokes within their circle rather than being actually offended by it.
But let us admit, who do you expect to bail you out of trouble apart from your equally reckless friend? It’s none other than a lawyer.
And yes, even those violations which seem to be too petty to even warrant a paid professional time needs a lawyer. Case in point: traffic tickets.
In case you are wondering why in hell would you have to hire a lawyer for a simple overspeeding, beating the red light, or a lapse in judgment for not signaling when you make a turn? We will tell you why as we go along.
But first, you may be wondering how much does traffic ticket attorney cost?
Average Cost of Traffic Ticket Attorney
Depending on the lawyer you hire, for the criminal cases under which the traffic violations are included, the traffic lawyer cost for speeding charges are billed at a flat fee ranging from $100 up to a few thousand dollars depending on the gravity of the offense.
The need for traffic violation representation has become somewhat a prime commodity, hence, a lot of lawyers are shifting careers from the heavyweight arena of criminal and corporate practice to handling something seemingly as petty as these traffic violator’s cases. So do not be surprised to find advertisements everywhere offering legal representation services ranging from as little as $50 up to $200 per ticket. And some even have a money-back guarantee, mind you.
Other lawyers charge a flat rate of $250 to $400 per one-time courtroom appearance to enter a plea and negotiate to lessen the penalty.
But you can also see some law offices charging up to $500 per ticket but claiming to offer the services that deserve that amount.
Another option could be the so-called “Pre-paid Legal Services” which basically runs from $80 to $250 per year which purports to give you any legal service you might need, the cost of which is substantially lower than the prevailing rate in private practice.
If you can’t afford to hire a lawyer due to financial constraints and there is a possibility that you would face jail time for a more serious violation, the court may appoint a lawyer for you at your request.
Three Different Ways of Hiring a Lawyer
Hiring a lawyer is not all about the court hearing. In fact, you can hire a lawyer for a traffic ticket for three different purposes. These are the following:
- Consultation – sometimes, all you need is a little advice or coaching to get through a petty case. Depending on the circumstances, this can either be a face to face consultation or can even be transacted via a phone call. Either way, expect to pay around $100 for a half-hour consultation up to $200 for a one-hour counseling.
- Negotiation – in most cases, simple negotiation can pull you out of trouble. But if you do not have a gift of gab, then leave it to the experts. Most often, lawyers have a wide network of peers that can sometimes influence court decisions which can either lower your penalties or even your jail time at worst.
- Court representation – if you do not trust yourself enough to present facts accurately and clearly before a court, then hire a lawyer who has a vast experience in this field to get a better chance of getting a verdict in your favor.
What are Included in the Traffic Lawyer Cost for Speeding Charges
Eggert and Associates Law Office offers the service for $500 for every traffic ticket but guarantees to provide the following:
- They would tell you straight up if they think you are likely to lose the case so that you can avoid paying the maximum fine.
- They can negotiate with the prosecutor in some courts to reduce the severity of the case and reduce the fines.
- If you admittedly have committed the violation, they would help you negotiate for you to avoid penalties and suspension of your license.
- If your case is likely to end up in a trial court, they would locate and secure witness testimony, present evidence, and cross-examine the police officer to the best they can in order to prove your version of the case.
Additional Costs
As a consequence of your traffic ticket, expect the premium of your vehicle insurance to surge up to around 30% to 50% within the next two to three years.
Some argue the rationale of hiring a traffic attorney when it would be more expensive to do it than to just pay for the ticket and move on. While in practicality, it is valid, the consequence of violations piling up can cause future dilemma brought about by possible suspension of license, a high cost of vehicle insurance, among others. And as a driver and a vehicle owner, you don’t want that.
If you want to learn all about traffic violations and how to get past them unscathed, you may want to buy the Beat Your Ticket: Go to Court & Win 7th Edition which can serve as your guide towards winning a protest against any undeserved traffic violation ticket.
Where to Get Traffic Ticket Attorney
Every state has a local directory of lawyers who can represent you as you deal with your traffic violations. Locate one in your state via this DMV.org locator.
Another way to look for a traffic attorney is by locating one through the referral service of the AmericanBar.org.
Factors Affecting Traffic Ticket Attorney Cost
It may be just a traffic ticket, but still, there are several factors that could have an effect on the traffic lawyer cost for speeding charges and other violations. These include the following:
- The type of charges – the amount of professional fees your lawyer would bill you would depend on the effort he or she has to exert in advising or representing you. Typically, more serious cases such as accidents or DUI’s cost a lot higher than simple seatbelt violation or overspeeding.
- Lawyer’s experience – how much does traffic ticket attorney cost depends on the situation. Under normal circumstances, the older the lawyer, the higher you have to pay for their services, provided that they have been in the same practice for so long than any other field, or long enough to know the ins and outs of the bureaucracy.
- The scope of representation – when a lawyer has quoted a particular service, it means the service is limited to just that. End of discussion. But if further services are required, that would be out of the scope and you would be obliged to pay extra. Just like if the case can be settled with a plea bargain, you would be charged a minimal fee compared to when the case is brought to court for trial.
- Location – it is highly favorable to hire a lawyer who is from the same area as yours as you would be saving additional charges for their transportation and other expenses related to proximity. Add to the fact that it would be easier for the lawyer to negotiate since he or she is well-versed of the traffic laws in the area, making a very little effort, therefore saving you cost on hourly rates.
- Participation – one reason you may want to get a lawyer to represent you is for convenience. This means you want to limit your participation as much as possible. Therefore, the rate of the professional fees you have to pay may also be affected by how much exposure you would have in the case.
- Success – if you availed those money-backs guarantee advertisements, then expect the fee to be affected by the outcome or the verdict of the court.
Why do You Need a Lawyer
There are three basic reasons why you need to hire a traffic attorney. These are the following:
Reduce the ticket price. While some petty traffic violations cost just minimally, some can be expensive to hurt your pocket. And that’s aside from the domino effect it would cause to your vehicle insurance premium which can have an additional $300 to $400 surge in price. Hiring a lawyer may help you avoid high fees and may even help you avoid getting points on your license, which is the basis of the insurance premiums and license suspension.
Save time dealing with your ticket. Some people are too busy to even attend court hearings for a simple traffic violation hence the hiring of representative as lawyers have the easiest way out of any case, thus shortening the length of the proceedings.
Get out of your ticket. The benefit of connections as well as the convincing power of the lawyer can get you past the traffic court squeaky clean.