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Cost of Hiring a Lawyer
When people are considering hiring an attorney, the first question they ask is about the cost. It is vital to have an experienced Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Lawyer by your side if you have been charged with a crime. We at Logue Law Group will provide you with the best criminal lawyer we have.
It is always wise to discuss fees with your lawyer before they begin working on your case.
How Attorney Fees May Vary
Many factors affect the fee a lawyer will charge. They include the following:
- Experience and reputation- A brand-new lawyer right out of law school will charge you less than a well-known one who has worked for a long time. If you hire someone who specializes in a particular area of law, he or she will also charge more.
- The complexity of the case- The cost to defend a simple misdemeanor is lower than what is charged for a felony.
- Time- Your Pittsburgh Criminal Defense Lawyer may need to attend multiple meetings with the prosecutor. He or she may need to spend time listening to recorded phone conversations or watching videos of crime scenes, police interviews, or court hearings. There may be witnesses to interview and long transcripts to review. The more time the lawyer needs to prepare for your case, and the more times he or she will need to appear in court, the more you will be charged.
- Your lawyer will pass on to you any additional costs that you will be required to pay, like hiring expert witnesses and purchasing transcripts of any hearings you may have had.
Lawyers Charge in Different Ways
Defendants in criminal cases are frequently billed on an hourly basis. You will only be charged for the amount of time the lawyer actually works on your case.
An experienced lawyer will be able to accurately estimate the amount of time your case will take.
You will most likely be asked to pay a retainer, which you must do before the lawyer will begin working on your case. The retainer is like a down payment on your total bill. Your lawyer will work the number of hours that matches the retainer amount, and then bill you for the remaining hours required.
Some lawyers charge a flat fee instead of billing by the hour. If that is the case, you will know exactly how much you will have to pay from the beginning.
One of the reasons you are encouraged to share all the details of your case, no matter how insignificant they might seem, is to assist your attorney in estimating the amount of time he will need to spend to defend you. If he knows everything up front, and doesn’t have any surprises tossed in his lap in the middle of a hearing, he can give you an excellent idea of what you’ll have to pay. This gives you the opportunity to have the correct amount available when the time comes to pay up, without having to scramble around to find extra, especially if you’re facing jail time. At Logue Law Group, we know that hiring a defense attorney was probably not in your budget, so we offer payment plans that allow you to pay your bill over time.
If you are arrested for a crime, you will need a professional defense lawyer who will charge you fairly. Logue Law Group offers skilled representation without charging you more than once or charging excessive fees. Your first consultation with one of our attorneys will be free. To find a good criminal lawyer amid the pool of them in the Pittsburgh area used to be quite challenging, but not anymore. We at Logue Law Group are your best choice. We are an authorized and licensed company and our lawyers complete frequent professional development to increase their knowledge and skills. They are dedicated to protecting your rights and offering you the finest defense available.