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How Much Does a Criminal Lawyer Cost | Houston Criminal Law

Dan Cogdell | 1242 Views | 08/26/2015

Criminal Lawyer Fee Agreements

You’re looking for a criminal defense lawyer here in Texas, and you’re wondering how much is this going to cost? Hello, my name is Dan Cogdell. I’m a criminal defense lawyer here in Texas, and I have been for 32 years. The answer to how much is this going to cost to hire a criminal defense lawyer is an absolutely unequivocal, “it depends.” It depends on a bunch of different factors.

Generally speaking, there are two types of fee agreements in criminal cases.

Flat Fees

One is a flat fee where there is an agreed-upon amount determined for a plea or a trial setting upfront. Both parties know what that fee is going to be from the very beginning.

Hourly Fees

The second type of fee, which is becoming more and more customary in the criminal defense practice is an hourly fee – that you’re charged by the hour. In other words, the less time your lawyer spends on the case, the less you pay him. The more time he spends on your case, the more you pay him.

Factors in Determining Cost of a Criminal Lawyer

What drives both of those fee agreements are a number of constant factors. The first is that lawyer’s experience. How long has he been practicing law? The second is the lawyer’s competence. How good is he or she at what he does. A third driver in those types of fee agreements is what’s customary or what’s normally charged in a case like that.

A fourth driver or factor in the fees is how complex and how novel the issues. Another very important factor in the fee agreement is how much time is it going to take? But know this, a good lawyer, whether it’s with our firm or another firm, is not going to be an inexpensive lawyer. You get what you pay for generally speaking in life. You should get what you pay for when you hire a criminal defense lawyer. If you have more concerns or questions or you simply just need more information about our fee structure, we’ll be happy to discuss fees with you over the phone. We’ll be happy to schedule a consultation or an appointment with you and figure out what type of fee agreement is the most fair for you and for us. Thank you. My name is Dan Cogdell. I appreciate your listening.

By: Dan Cogdell

How Much Does a Criminal Lawyer Cost | Houston Criminal Law

Criminal Lawyer Fee Agreements

You’re looking for a criminal defense lawyer here in Texas, and you’re wondering how much is this going to cost? Hello, my name is Dan Cogdell. I’m a criminal defense lawyer here in Texas, and I have been for 32 years. The answer to how much is this going to cost to hire a criminal defense lawyer is an absolutely unequivocal, “it depends.” It depends on a bunch of different factors.

Generally speaking, there are two types of fee agreements in criminal cases.

Flat Fees

One is a flat fee where there is an agreed-upon amount determined for a plea or a trial setting upfront. Both parties know what that fee is going to be from the very beginning.

Hourly Fees

The second type of fee, which is becoming more and more customary in the criminal defense practice is an hourly fee – that you’re charged by the hour. In other words, the less time your lawyer spends on the case, the less you pay him. The more time he spends on your case, the more you pay him.

Factors in Determining Cost of a Criminal Lawyer

What drives both of those fee agreements are a number of constant factors. The first is that lawyer’s experience. How long has he been practicing law? The second is the lawyer’s competence. How good is he or she at what he does. A third driver in those types of fee agreements is what’s customary or what’s normally charged in a case like that.

A fourth driver or factor in the fees is how complex and how novel the issues. Another very important factor in the fee agreement is how much time is it going to take? But know this, a good lawyer, whether it’s with our firm or another firm, is not going to be an inexpensive lawyer. You get what you pay for generally speaking in life. You should get what you pay for when you hire a criminal defense lawyer. If you have more concerns or questions or you simply just need more information about our fee structure, we’ll be happy to discuss fees with you over the phone. We’ll be happy to schedule a consultation or an appointment with you and figure out what type of fee agreement is the most fair for you and for us. Thank you. My name is Dan Cogdell. I appreciate your listening.

By: Dan Cogdell