If you face DUI charges, you may wonder how much will a Colorado Springs DUI defense lawyer cost you? An important question, but attorney’s fees are only part of the price you will pay for your DUI conviction. Keep reading to learn more about the full potential costs of a DUI.
The Expenses are Much More than Just the DUI Defense Lawyer Cost
Driving under the influence of alcohol can be costly in many ways. Tragically, it costs thousands of Americans their lives every year.
Even when no one gets hurt, the costs to a driver arrested and convicted of a DUI in Colorado can be overwhelming. You may have to pay for your mistake by spending time behind bars, losing your driving privileges, and missing out on employment opportunities because of the criminal record you now have.
But the costs in dollars and cents – actually thousands of dollars and cents – can be equally devastating.
DUI’s Come with a Long List of Fees, Fines, and Costs
A big part of the reason that Colorado law imposes penalties on those convicted of crimes is to deter such people from committing the same offense in the future and as well as deterring others from engaging in criminal activity in the first place.
Because of the cost in lives caused by drunk driving, Colorado law is particularly harsh in the consequences of a drunk driving conviction. While first-time offenders who commit other crimes may be able to get out of their ordeal with a “slap on the wrist,” a first-time DUI conviction is more like a body slam.
The DUI defense lawyer cost is just one of the long list of costs, fees, and fines that await you for your first-time DUI conviction. The law makes DUI offenders pay for the costs related to their punishment, such as drug/alcohol treatment and ignition interlock devices, as well as for programs designed to reduce drunk driving generally
The Colorado Department of Transportation has itemized the average expenses related to the first-time conviction for DUI. Get your bank account ready, because here is what you’ll be paying:
- DUI Lawyer Cost (average): $3,650
- Detox/Jail: $303
- Ignition Interlock Rental/Service: $2,172
- Probation Alcohol/Drug Evaluation: $200
- Alcohol Classes/Drug Education/Treatment: $1,000
- Victim Assistance Fund: $163
- Towing Fee: $175
- Victim Compensation Fund: $29
- Court Cost: $26
- Car Storage Fee (per day): $49.20
- Law Enforcement Assistance Fund: $90
- License Reinstatement: $95
- Community Service Supervision Fee: $60
- Rural Alcohol & Substance Abuse Fund: $5
- Instruction Permit: $16.80
- Restricted License: $26
- Victim Impact Panel Program: $50
- PDD Surcharge Fee: $300
- First Conviction Fine: $600
- Brain Injury Fund Fee: $20
- Probation Supervision Fee: $900
- Auto Insurance Increase: $3,600
All of this adds up to a total average cost of $13,530 for a first-time drunk driving conviction in Colorado. Second DUI convictions will cost you even more.
Your Time is Money as Well
The DUI lawyer cost and the list above are just the hard costs associated with your DUI. The financial fallout from your drunk driving conviction can take other forms as well. Court appearances, probation meetings, community service obligations, ignition interlock service appointments, mandatory alcohol education classes – all these obligations take your valuable time and can cost you thousands of dollars in lost wages as you spend hours and days away from work.
Even if you lose income because of reduced work hours, you should feel lucky if you still have a job to go to after a DUI conviction. Many Colorado drunk driving convictions come with a loss of driving privileges. If you can’t get to work, you won’t be on the payroll for long.
“DUI Lawyer Cost” vs. “What is Your Future Worth”
Of course, you will only live with the financial nightmare of a DUI conviction if the Colorado Springs prosecutors do convict you. Ask yourself, “What is the DUI lawyer cost compared to the full potential cost of a conviction for driving under the influence.”
If you want to avoid the full potential of crippling expenses of a DUI, the most important thing you can do is hire an experienced Colorado Springs DUI defense attorney.
With a skilled Colorado Springs criminal defense attorney on your side, you stand a much better chance of beating the charges altogether or receiving a sentence that minimizes the financial costs.
Remember, prosecutors, bear the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that you drove with an alcohol level above the legal limit. A good criminal defense attorney can challenge the legitimacy of the stop, attack the validity of the evidence, raise doubts as to the accuracy of breath, blood or urine test results, and undermine the credibility of the witnesses against you.
Get a Free Consultation with a DUI Defense Attorney
Given how much you can save in dollars, time, reputation, and freedom if you successfully fight the DUI charges against you, choosing the right defense attorney is the best investment you can make.
Don’t make such a critical decision based on lawyer cost alone or which attorney charges the least. As with anything else, you often get what you pay for when you hire a cheap criminal defense attorney. Don’t take such a risk with your future.
View the 100’s of 5-star customer reviews on Google for Attorney James Newby rating on Google to confirm he is among the best criminal defense attorneys in Colorado Springs.
