The cost of hiring a DUI criminal defense lawyer in Illinois is primarily based on the experience of the lawyer and the amount of lawyer training in the drunk driving Act. Some other reasons may vary between attorneys, such as attorney overhead. This is why the costs of a DuPage County DUI attorney shouldn't be of great importance. Think of it this way.
If your attorney gets you out of jail, ensures you don't miss work or you lose your job because of driving under the influence of alcohol charge, the price to pay will be reduced to a few thousand dollars for that. Compare that to the unpredictable legal consequences you may encounter by being in jail and losing your job.
Most DUI attorney fees are less than $4,000 and can be substantially less depending on your area and the attorney of your choice. You just want to ensure you get one that'll help you move forward in the right direction and you'll get a deal you can handle, not the ones that'll give you just the usual deal that everyone gets anyway.
If you're convicted of a first-time DUI offense, your driver's license will be suspended for one year. You'll have to pay expensive fines up to $2500 and court costs and potentially you'll spend 364 days in jail. If your blood alcohol content is over 0.16 that may increase the minimum fines you'll have to pay. However, the maximum amount remains and you may face community service time.
If you're charged with subsequent DUI offenses you'll face severe punishments. There are also ways your first DUI charge can be more costly. Certain factors can cause to be charged with "aggravated DUI" which is a felony offense. Receiving a felony conviction results in additional penalties, steeper fines, a longer driver's license suspension period, and a higher chance of a jail sentence.
You can face a DUI felony charge if:
If you've been arrested for drunk driving, you don't have a lot of time to hire an experienced DUI criminal defense lawyer. But you shouldn't hire just any DUI attorney. The cost of a DUI attorney typically starts at a minimum of $1,500 up to 25,000 when fighting a first-time DUI charge in court with a lawyer. Several factors can affect the average cost of a drunk driving charge and DUI criminal defense attorneys in Illinois. The cost may vary depending on the lawyer, the criminal charges, and the activities surrounding your DUI arrest.
A qualified DUI criminal defense lawyer is one that has been in business for at least five years and frequently takes cases for the drunk driving defense. The best DuPage County DUI attorneys are those that have an established track record of not only winning cases but also helping their clients get the most favorable outcomes possible. A good DUI defense attorney should show you their past successes and must demonstrate their criminal defense law firm understanding of the drunk driving law.
A DUI criminal defense lawyer is there to offer you the much-needed legal advice including, but not limited to, the harsh penalties you could face if convicted. It goes without saying that every DUI case is unique and must be handled differently by an experienced trial lawyer who has defended a wide variety of drunk driving cases.
You should work with a criminal trial lawyer who has experience in drunk driving cases and a record of getting DUI charges for clients dropped. It's their job to be up-to-date with the changes made in this area of law such as when the evidence could now be collected from a breathalyzer machine, blood tests, or DNA testing that can locate drugs found within a person's system.
It's illegal to drive, attempt to drive, or oversee a moving motor vehicle in Illinois if the level of alcohol or drugs in your blood, breath, or urine exceeds the prescribed level. Once your blood alcohol concentration is higher than 0.08, you could be charged with a drunk driving charge in Illinois.
Aside from the revocation of your driver's license and possible incarceration, those who are arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol face a series of Illinois drunk driving costs and fines.
A DUI offender, for instance, may be mandated to take a class on the dangers of drunk driving in Illinois, and they'll have to pay for it. Remedial substance abuse classes start at $50 a class and you must also pay counseling fees of $200. Plus, there’s an additional Illinois drunk driving cost for drug and alcohol screening.
Upon an intoxicated driving arrest in Illinois, you must post bail which ranges from several hundred to several thousand dollars. The good news is that it'll be returned to you minus non-refundable fees if you appear as planned in court.
You may also have to pay a towing and impound fee to get your vehicle back, which is typically another $500 to $2,000. If you're convicted of drunk driving in Illinois, you must pay a high DUI fine, which can run from the hundreds to thousands of dollars, plus additional court costs.
It's crucial to note that a DUI charge can increase your auto insurance premiums by an average of 19%. However, the increase will vary depending on factors such as where you live and your insurance company. How long you’ll pay a higher auto insurance rate depends on your insurance provider, but generally, it’s no less than an average of three years. High-risk insurance after a drunk driving charge will cost an additional average of $1,500 a year for 3 years.
If you're facing a DUI charge, it's crucial to retain the services of a skilled DUI defense attorney.
The hardworking DUI defense attorneys at Dohman Law Group know the courts and the system and that there are aspects of drunk driving charges that may cause a dismissal or result in a lesser criminal offense or penalty. We're a legal team of aggressive litigators and will work with you to fully understand the details surrounding your DUI case. We have helped thousands of clients in DuPage County, Cook County, Lake County, Kane County, Kendall County, and throughout Illinois get favorable outcomes. And we'll thoroughly investigate your DUI case and be your strong advocate in the courtroom.
You deserve legal representation from one of DuPage County's top-rated law firms when facing such serious charges as driving under the influence. Contact our skilled DUI criminal defense lawyers today at 847-359-4005 for more information about how we can help!
