For those who are currently facing charges for driving under influence or DUI in Washington, you may want to consider not fighting back. It seems like it would be easier for you to plead guilty or take the offer offered by a prosecutor for deferred prosecution. However, your pride may disagree with it as it can also affect your life. If you are wondering how much does it cost for a DUI lawyer in Washington, according to The Law Officers of Morgan Fletcher Benfield PLLC, it starts from $10,000.
A few statutory penalties and collateral consequences are the results of a DUI conviction. For anyone who pleads or is found guilty, you can be sentenced to jail, electronic home monitoring, a driver’s license suspension, use of an ignition interlock device, and so on. Apart from that, do not get surprised if a DUI impacts some other things such as your education, career, family life, and social circle.
As for the financial cost of a DUI conviction in Washington, there are a few things that you should expect, such as:
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- Criminal DUI fines
Under the Washington law, the maximum penalty for a DUI is $5,000. In addition, there are mandatory minimum fines for both King and Pierce County. For your information, the mandatory minimum in King County is $865.50 for the first DUI with a blood alcohol concentration or BAC of less than .15 percent. For those who have committed this three times or so on and had a BAC of .15 percent or higher, then the mandatory minimum fine is $2,820.50. If you are wondering about the minimum fine in Pierce County, for the first-time DUI with BAC less than .15 percent, it is $940.50. As for the fine for a third or subsequent offense with a high BAC, it is $2,895.50. In fact, some people are confused with how mandatory minimums are applied. Fortunately, the lawyers are always ready to explain the process and to get the best result.
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- Extra fines, fees, and assessments
Keep in mind that the numbers mentioned above include a few things such as the minimum fine, the Public Safety and Education Assessment, the toxicology lab fee, a Title 46 penalty, and a court funding fee. When you are reading up on the minimum DUI fines, please be careful. Check if the criminal fine is the only one that is included or if there are also some other things that are included such as the other fines and assessments. The extra penalties can be in the form of a few hundred dollars and increase to thousands of dollars.
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- Installation and maintenance of an ignition interlock device
For anyone who is asked to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle when your driving privileges are reinstated, make sure to expect another significant expense. The fee to install the device can be up to $150. The regular calibration fees can force you to spend up to $150 per appointment. As for the removal, it can cost you up to $100. Over a year, this device may cost more than $1,000.
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- License reinstatement fees
For those who are getting a restricted or ignition interlock device license after a DUI, it means you will need to pay an application fee of $100, a probationary license fee of $50, and a monthly ignition interlock device fee of $20. If you want to have your license fully reinstated, it will be needed for you to pay the other fees, such as a licensing fee of $54 and an alcohol-related suspension reinstatement fee of $150.
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- Higher auto insurance premiums
You can expect your auto insurance premiums to increase if you are convicted of a DUI. Now, you will be considered as a high-risk driver by your insurer. The higher the risk in insuring, the higher your bill. In 2014, NerdWallet found that a driver from Washington who is convicted of a DUI will see their car insurance price fall by 54.24% and will pay more than $2,334.01 in insurance over a five year period. Three years later, the resulting increases seem to be similar or even higher.
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- Losing out on future earnings
While you are dealing with the real-time impact of a DUI, it may be hard to be conceptualized. Everyone wants to be free from jail and to keep their license. However, they may get minus points when their prospective employers review their criminal record on an application that includes a DUI. It is definitely not a good thing as it can delay praises as well as better, long-term career opportunities. After they were denied a job or forced to be in the same position and could not move forward, they regret their decision to not pursue a better outcome in a past DUI case.
Hiring a lawyer to represent you against a DUI can be hard. If you only have a limited budget, you may also worry about the cost. When you try to deal with a DUI alone, you will face far greater expenses. With no lawyer, the chance of you being found guilty or accepting a plea bargain that is not in your best interests is high. By getting this result, you will be forced to pay thousands of dollars a year or more following the conviction.
If you are thinking of resigning yourself to a permanent conviction on your record and paying fines, court costs, and the administrative charges and fees, please bury the thought. Instead of that, you are suggested to reach out to the private DUI defense lawyer from The Law Offices of Morgan Fletcher Benfield, PLLC. Hiring this is not considered as an expense. Instead of an expense, it is more like an investment in your future. It is the best option for you who are looking for the one that will fight you to get the best possible result in your case. Besides, they will also try to reduce the costs of a DUI charge or conviction as much as they can.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
