DUI Court Costs

Have you recently been charged with driving under the influence? If so, it is important to hire an experienced DUI defense attorney as soon as you can. With the average DUI conviction costing between $5,000 and $20,000, you need a skilled attorney to help have your charges minimized or even dropped altogether.

What makes a DUI conviction so expensive? The judge will more than likely sentence you to pay criminal fines. These are used as punishment and to deter you from committing a similar crime in the future. If you are ordered to attend drug and alcohol treatment or DUI School, you must pay these costs out of pocket. This doesn’t even take into account the fees you must pay to have an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle if it is ordered.

In addition to these expenses, you will be responsible for the DUI court costs. Maintaining a courtroom is not cheap for the city or state. To help the government make up for these costs, you may be ordered to pay court fees for your appearance.

As if these costs are not bad enough, you will face additional costs in your personal life. For example, after being convicted of DUI, your insurance company will raise your premiums – if they do not drop your coverage altogether. The same is true with your individual life and health insurance: being convicted of drunk driving puts you in the high-risk category.

Your paycheck can also suffer because of all the time you will have to take off of work in order to perform community service, attend alcohol treatment, or make court appearances. You may also have trouble finding future employment if you cannot pass a background check.

Because all of these fees vary from state to state, as well as case to case, it is in your best interest to speak with attorney who focuses on DUI law exclusively. A DUI attorney may save you money as well as help you avoid jail time.

If you have questions regarding DUI court fees, contact a DUI lawyer in your area today.