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Types of Criminal Defense Legal Fees
There are three types of legal fees: Contingency fees (legal fees that are paid if, and when, money is recovered), retainers (legal fees that are billed against on an hourly basis) and flat fees.
Flat fees are a certain specific legal fee that does not increase if the work increases. This type of criminal defense legal fee binds the attorneys and lawyers working on the case no matter how complex or lengthy the legal matter becomes. This is the type of lawyer’s fee that the best criminal defense attorneys normally use. The best criminal defense lawyers will occasionally break a legal fee into two parts, in order to make it financially manageable, but they will not try gimmicks such as monthly payment plans. You will not find a Florida Bar Association Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist offering “payment plans for every budget.” More on this later.
Next, retainers are legal fees which are placed in a client trust account. As the law firm or attorney performs legal work, money is taken from the trust account and put into the lawyer’s account. If the trust account runs dry, then the law firm notifies the client and legal work will cease until the trust account is refilled. WARNING: Many law firms will have a policy that a flat fee will be billed up front in all criminal cases and then an hourly rate will kick in at a certain point. This can create an ever increasing legal bill and make you wonder if your lawyer is looking to help you out or run up the bill.
Finally, contingency fees are illegal in criminal defense cases.
Types of Costs in Criminal Defense Cases
Costs and Expenses are separate from legal fees. Costs can cover many things, from the fee that an expert witness charges or the cost of having a subpoena served. Costs vary tremendously depending on a variety of factors. WARNING: Make sure that you have a clear understanding of costs and expenses. In some law firms, the copy machine is a profit center. At $1.00 to $5.00 a page, these law firms will definitely make sure you get a copy of everything.
"Court Costs" are completely separate, and along with fines, may be imposed at the end of a criminal case if a criminal defendant settles or is found guilty.
How Fees are set and how to get the most for your money in Criminal Defense Cases.
Attorney’s fees are based on a variety of factors: The type of case, the results sought, the number of counts or charges, the stage of the case when the criminal defense lawyer begins, the experience of the lawyer, the prior record of the defendant, are just some of the considerations that must be factored into account.
WARNING: Price shopping for budget fees on payment plans is the fastest way to get burned in criminal defense cases. Budget fee/ payment plan lawyers have law practices that cover several areas of law: They are never certified by the Florida Bar Association as a Criminal Law Expert because they simply do not have the time and experience necessary to become a specialist. They also do not have the time for your case - they have too many clients, too little time, and they are desperate to cover the bills when their "monthly payment plan" clients fail to pay.
At Cobb Criminal Defense Law Firm, we view legal fees as a once in a lifetime event. If you or your loved one is repeatedly needing criminal defense services, then the problem causing the legal problem simply must be addressed. Talk to us openly and honestly about all of your concerns and we can help you.