Appointing Criminal Attorney: Cost Factor

Retainer Agreement
Before finally entering into an agreement with the criminal attorney to defend his case, the person charged with a crime should do it well to review the retainer agreement. There are various ways an attorney charges his client for acting as his defense in the court of law. The services may be charged by hour or by a fee retainer of around $5000 that is non-refundable. Sometimes in case of settlements, the criminal attorney may have to be paid up to 40% of the amount of settlement as contingency fee. If the case goes for trial in the court, such contingency fee charged by the criminal attorney may further go up.

What is the Best?
The contingency fee very often benefits either the client or the lawyer and therefore paying by the hour appears to be the best arrangement. However the hours spent by a criminal lawyer for preparing the case for the trial are quite considerable and the bill amount if calculated on hour basis can go up as high as $50,000 which most people cannot afford. So paying contingency fee becomes the practical alternative for the client. Even in case where the criminal attorney charges on an hourly basis, an initial retainer may be required by the attorney at a very high cost as security for fees to be paid to the attorney firm.

Cost Elements
The cost of the case and the fees to be charged by the criminal attorney must first be ascertained before finally giving the lawyer a nod. The cost-benefit comparisons amongst the criminal attorneys short-listed is a critical determining factor to finally select the attorney. If the case goes for trial, there will be added elements of costs like the trial exhibits, fees to be paid to witnesses, etc. Funds are required to be set aside for covering all such costs if the prosecution leads to trial in court.