What is a reasonable fee for a DUI attorneys in the Seattle, WA area

Hiring an attorney can be likened to purchasing a DVD player. Some are very cheap, some are very expensive, but most are in a certain range. The cheap ones may be so because they just don't live up to expectations--but every once in a while, the cheap one proves to outlast them all. The expensive ones may have a great reputation, but sometimes, they have bells and whistles you would never use, so why pay the extra cost? The best advice is to ask around to see who your friends recommend, check out website reviews, find out how long attorneys have been practicing, whether they're in good standing with the bar. The bottom line is READ THE CONTRACT and ensure you know what your retainer covers.

DUI is the most complicated area of law in Washington. Avvo is a great resource, and will tell you a lot about who it is you're looking at. My suggestions are complied in my web-guide "How to find a DUI lawyer in Washington"

Most attorneys, like my office, will offer a free consultation - take advantage of this - and go MEET with the lawyers. Get a feel for them. Ask pointed questions.

As with most things in life - you get what you pay for.

As with most situations in life, the experience level of the firm or individual is a major factor to consider when making a decision about retaining legal assitance. The more experience the lawyer has, quite reasonably the higher the fee; however, make sure you are comfortable with the attorney overall and make sure that he or she limits their practice to DUI defense. There is nothing more concerning than to witness an attorney not know how a particular court has already ruled on substantial evidentiary issues (i.e. suppression of a breath test) and present a plea to the court on behalf of his or her client. It is reassuring to most clients when the judge knows the attorney by name.

As far as fees in Washington go, I have personally see them range from $3000 to $10000 for a first offense. Of course, many factors will need to be considered by the attorney prior to quoting a fee, here are just a few: (1) the individual's criminal history, specifically prior DUI convictions or charges, (2) the court where the case has been or will be filed, (3) the breath test results or if a breath test was refused, and (4) were there any agrravating factors (i.e. passengers in the vehicle or an accident involved). I always pose this analogy to my clients about fees - if you were paying out of pocket for a knee surgery, would you want to go with the doctor who quoted you the lowest fee? Remember, experience matters.

You also want to be sure to inquire about how far the quoted fee will take you. For example, some attorneys will only take the case up to an evidentiary hearing (a hearing to challenge probable cause, the reason for the stop, admissibility of a breath test, and admissibility of other legal issues) and will charge a higher fee to hold that hearing. In addition, some will then charge an additional fee for trial. Most attorneys will give you a flat quote for the entire services up to and through trial, so be sure to ask. For solid representation, you can expect to pay at least $4500 for a first offense.

Good question. Good answers. You should speak to different attorneys before picking one. You should ask anyone you know who has used a DUI attorney for a reference. You should base your decision on your gut, to some extent. I believe you have to feel comfortable asking questions, and that you trust the answers. You can't hire on reputation alone.
You may speak to 5 different lawyers, and get 5 different price quotes. Different attorneys set fees based on the amount of time and work they put in to cases, as well as their experience and past success. You will have to weigh cost versus quality and make the decision that is best for you. Generally speaking, though, this case will effect you for years to come. For most people, this is a time to compare costs and be an informed consumer; but it is not a time to bargain shop.

To make sure you are getting a good DUI lawyer, interview 3 or 4 different ones, and ask each of them what they think of each of the other ones. Assessments are necessarily subjective to a large extent, but a good lawyer will at least give you an honest assessment.

If one of the lawyers is unknown to all of the other ones, look out. Likewise, if one of the lawyers doesn't know ANY of the other ones, I'd be cautious about hiring him or her. The good DUI lawyers should know each other, share tips, and attend seminars together. As long as you get at least two good endorsements as to the lawyer's abilities, you should be safe as far as getting a qualified lawyer.

You can do essentially the same thing by asking several local lawyers to give you two or three names of quality lawyers. If you ask that question to several lawyers, you'll quickly see the sames names being mentioned.

The fee can vary tremendously, depending on the lawyer's experience and his or her other opportunities. The main thing is to make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Make sure the fee quoted includes a contested jury trial. And get it in writing. In Dallas, Texas, the top lawyers seem to be charging anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 to contest a DWI (that's what DUI is called in Texas).

Don't be shy about asking direct questions. This is your life and your money, so get straight answers. Ask how many DUI cases they have defended, and how many they have won. Ask them to tell you a few different ways they have won DUI cases. An experienced lawyer should be able to tell you at least three or four different ways he or she has won cases for his or her clients.

Also ask how often he or she goes to trial on DUI cases, as opposed to simply plea bargaining. You'll want an aggressive lawyer who goes to trial on most of their cases.

Good luck!

You get what you pay for... if you pay $500.00 for representation in a DUI case what do you think they are going to do for you? Probably send another attorney on the arraignment date and plead you guilty. You would be better getting a public defender. If you are going to fight your case you are going to have to pay. Here in California there are a handful of law firms that we describe as dump trucks, which charge $400 -$700 for a DUI and they are just pushing you for the get go to plead guilty. Otherwise they loose money on your case the more time they have to spend with you.

a) Never hire someone out of the phone book. b) Get a referral from a friend or a qualified website. c) Read various attorneys' websites to see if they appear to be competent. d) If you do that and politely shop around (a few phone calls to your top 3 choices) without unfairly wasting more than 5 minutes of the lawyers' time for free advice, then you will know what is a fair price. It all depends upon how many hours and how much expertise is needed to answer your Q. If you have a 1st time ARD Plea, then $500 may well be fair; but if you have a 4th DUI needing a Preliminary Hearing with a Court Reporter and then a Suppression Motion followed by a Jury Trialwith Toxicologist fees, then the sky is the limit.