Cost of a DWI

Answer:

If you get investigated for a charge with a DUI in Orlando, Florida, a common question we get a lot is, “How much is this going to cost me?” We were sitting down with a client the other day who came in for a consult. It was their first-time DUI. We went over the facts of the case, and we explained to them that one of the big things of a DUI case is the cost involved. The state of Florida and governmental agencies try to make this as costly as possible so it’s a detriment for people to commit these types of crimes. We will tell you that it is one of the more costly crimes to commit in Florida. It will cost you in one of several ways.

It will cost you just by court costs and fees, having to bail out of jail. Depending on the severity of the DUI, just the bail alone could cost you several hundred or several thousand dollars. Assuming you have no other option, other than to take a plea, depending on what level of DUI it is – whether it’s a first-time, second-time or third-time – will depend on the cost. Generally, a first-time DUI is going to cost you several thousand dollars just in court costs and fines. The classes that are mandated as part of the sentence have to be paid for. Community service hours can be purchased, depending on the judge that you’re in front of; some judges don’t allow it, and some do. If they do, then that is paid for as a cost. Investigation costs are tacked on to it. There are a whole host of costs that come along with a DUI, should you have to enter a plea and that’s your only choice.

If you defend the case or if you hire an attorney, then that cost will be an addition to you having to hire an attorney. If you hire the attorney for a first-time DUI, the going rate is $3,000 for that type of case. That case doesn’t include paying for any of those costs that we mentioned – the court costs, the fines – so the attorneys’ fees would be an addition to that. As you can see, those costs and the expense of a DUI quickly adds up. Another cost caused during the DUI is by the driver’s license suspension. Many times, people can have the adverse consequence of losing a job or not being able to go to the job as often as possible. This will result in a loss of financial income to the party and can end up costing them in having to pay for ride services such as Uber or Lyft, or anything like that.

Once you add all these costs together, some end up being upwards of three, four, five, up to $10,000 depending on the unique circumstances of a particular DUI. It’s very important to contact an attorney who has handled these types of cases in Orlando, Florida, as they are each very unique and they each carry with themselves their own set of sanctions and specific costs and expenses – court cost fees, amount of community service, the amount of classes and types of classes that you have to take – all which can cost a differing amount of money.

All of this comes into play into having to resolve your DUI case, but it is critical to get an attorney involved in the case. Even though it’s an additional cost, it could help you in possibly getting the case dismissed, minimizing the case, minimizing the effects on your record and/or getting you a better resolution of the case. If you have any other questions about how much a DUI may cost you in Orlando, Florida, please don’t hesitate to contact the Victory Law Firm.