This is one of the more common questions posed to St. Petersburg criminal defense attorneys. Ultimately, this question comes down to a matter of factors, including but not limited to the complexity of the case, the severity of the charges, your expectations concerning the case, your prior history, etc. For example, obviously a first degree murder will require a significant amount of time as opposed to a simple trespass. Additionally, one’s prior history will make negotiating with the State Attorney’s Office much more difficult than someone with their first arrest. For example, someone who qualifies as a prison release reoffender or as they are known more commonly, PRR, will have a much more difficult time getting an offer acceptable to their expectation than someone who is charged their first felony offense.
The costs charged to a criminal defendant will vary essentially from case to case as those facts and circumstance vary from phase to phase. The best way for you to determine how much a criminal charge will cost is to simply sit down and discuss the matter with an attorney face to face. It generally isn’t possible to estimate the cost to a Client based solely on a quick phone call or email. It is almost impossible for an attorney to accurately quote you an amount in a criminal, family or civil case, if hourly, without actually knowing the facts and circumstances of the case. Again, it is critical to actually sit down and discuss face to face with the St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney that you want to handle your case what the charge is going to be.
We also encourage people to ask about what kind of fees they’re going to be charged. For example, it is a common practice for many attorneys to charge a mileage rate, for parking, for copies, long-distance phone calls, postage, calls made from the jail, etc. We’re proud to announce that at Hackworth Law, P.A. we don’t charge for those things. In the overwhelming majority of criminal cases, we charge one flat fee. That flat fee is good either up until or including trial, depending on the terms of your contract. We simply do not believe in nickel and diming our clients to the point that they receive invoices that include phone calls or copies. We simply do not believe in operating a business this way.
If you have questions concerning the charges for our firm to represent you, give us a call or contact us through the “Contact Us Now” tab on our website. We’ll be more than happy to discuss our fees and charges in handling of your criminal case. We offer payment plans, we take credit cards, we do whatever it takes to get you the quality, aggressive legal representation you demand and deserve in your difficult, criminal matter. We appreciate your time in looking through our St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney blog, if you have any questions or want to talk about anything here further give us a call.