A man went into a lawyer’s office, and demanded to see the lawyer. He was escorted into the lawyer’s office. The man needed legal help, but he knew how expensive lawyers could be, so he inquired, ‘Can you tell me how much you charge?” “Of course,” the lawyer replied, “I charge $500 to answer three questions.” “Don’t you think that’s an awful lot of money to answer three questions?” “Yes it is,” answered the lawyer, “What’s your third question?”
The need for lower-cost legal fees has long been a topic of discussion in our society. That need is even more glaring in these times of economic uncertainty. What is more important to consider though is why hiring a lawyer is so expensive in the first place. In the world of criminal defense, the answer it simple – Why would you gamble your liberty and freedom on a criminal defense attorney that has the lowest price tag? Searching for a criminal defense lawyer in the Acadiana area will lead you to many potential candidates. You will find a common trend among them: low rates. The studious shopper must ask, “Why does this attorney undercut everyone else?” Economics mandates that the more you pay for something, the better its value. Legal services are not a unique exemption to this rule. So, if you do get the attorney with the smallest bill or the most badges on his website, or the American Association of Premier whatevers, what are you really buying?
After a client signs a retainer with this office, we look them in the eye and tell them “Okay, you don’t have to worry about this any more. We have it from here.” It is just a thing we say, but it is a true thing we say. Our clients go home and sleep soundly for the first time in weeks or months. We have a pretty singular value proposition – we help people and families. So as long as that high level of obligation is what you get for your legal fee, the fee can only drop so much. To reduce the cost of legal services past a certain point …. well you get what you pay for.
In the world of OWI prosecution, there are a few things you should consider:
- Does the fee include representation at the administrative hearing?
- Does the fee include navigating me through the bureaucratic nightmare that is the Office of Motor Vehicles?
- Does the fee include expungement and record clean up?
- Does the fee include handling employment and professional licensing issues?
- Does this attorney have experience in handling complex scientific (and non-scientific) suppression hearings and trials?
- Is this attorney certified in Standard Field Sobriety Testing by the NHTSA like the law enforcement officer who arrested me?
- Does this attorney regularly attend OWI specific continuing education?
Is this attorney a member of any specialized scientific-legal societies?
- Does this attorney have investigative resources to fully evaluate my case?
Choose wisely, my friends!