The Finance Blogger

If you need a DUI defense lawyer, you have probably been stopped for drinking while driving, taken a breathalyzer test, and been charged with a criminal offense of DUI. You may have taken a breathalyzer test at the location where you were stopped. Then taken to the police station for further tests to make sure that the initial reading was correct. You may suddenly realize that if you are convicted of this charge that your life could be impacted significantly in a number of ways. First off all there is the embarrassment of being charged and having to go to court.

You really do not want family and friends to know that you were caught drinking and driving. You do not want them to know that you have been charged and could lose your license. This is traumatic for most people and certainly, no one really wants to talk about it.

DUI Defense Lawyer – Legal Fees

Secondly, there are legal fees and fines that you are going to have to pay regardless of whether you are convicted. Or even if you somehow escape a conviction. Then there are the physical penalties which can include jail time and house arrest. Also driving restrictions in terms of losing your license or having a breathalyzer device installed in your car. The cost of all of this can range from many thousands of dollars without considering the loss of income. Legal fees alone could cost thousands depending on your situation and the lawyer you hire. Your bank account is going to take a big hit no matter how you come out guilty or not guilty.

A DUI defense lawyer may be able to contain your conviction and may be able to keep your fines to a minimum, however, you will still have substantial legal fees to deal with in situations like this. The legal fees alone can come to over $5,000 just for defense and to get a warning with no conviction.  One wonders why people drink and drive in the first place when there are all of these possible ramifications which can impact you for the rest of your life.

An Example

A friend of ours was stopped and charged with a DUI offense. He estimated that by the time he paid to get his car back from the impound lot, hired a lawyer to represent him in court, and pay the fines that he would likely have to pay; the cost would be around $10,000. This assumes that he is able to retain his driver’s license. Also not have to give up driving for a year or spend any time in jail. This is a lot of money and probably more than many people have just lying around. These are serious deterrents to drinking and driving. Not to mention the damage you might cause if you also had an accident while driving.

Impact on Your Auto Insurance

Did you know that some insurance companies have in their policies a special ride? It basically says that if you are charged with a DUI and convicted, they will not insure you for any damage done to your car or truck. Your vehicle could be totaled as a result of an accident. It might not be covered at all due to your DUI conviction. You also might not be able to get car insurance coverage from this same company again if you have an accident. At the very least the rates are going to go way up.

Hire the best DUI defense lawyer you can find for any situation involving a DUI charge. Avoid all of these or at least the most serious of the possibilities. Even if you have to pay the lawyer and the penalties associated with getting your car back from the impound lot. This is a far less expensive option compared to dealing with a DUI conviction. Which also happens to be a criminal conviction.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.