The Cost Of Driving Under The Influence

By Author: Matthew Nebeker
Total Articles: 15
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Anyone can tell you that there are going to be certain costs associated with driving under the influence, or DUI. These costs can be expected to come into play during the attorney assessment as well as any court costs that will required. Most costs that are expected can be seen in increases in premiums, possible loss of employment and mandated treatment and payments to funds as deemed necessary by the court. A DUI Attorney Salt Lake City will be able to tell you in specific detail what to expect in the months following your DUI arrest. The State of Utah can provide you with an attorney; however a quick search will provide you with the best drunk driving attorney. These experienced attorneys can provide specifics on fees and what your overall financial responsibility is. The cost of a DUI is not cheap, but there are some silver linings. If this is your first offense, your fees should be significantly lower than if this was your second or third offense.

Possible Court Costs

When you are first arrested for DUI, you will be able to contact a lawyer. If you are not able to pay for a lawyer the court will appoint ...
... one to you, however this will not allow you to make an informed decision on who is representing you legally. You will be required to pay fees from the start of your incident and throughout the trial. Your DUI Attorney Salt Lake City can outline these fees, as well as they attorney fees. However, here are some common fees that you may expect to pay up front. Initial Fine up to or exceeding $1000.00, Towing and Impound of your vehicle, up to or exceeding $250, Driver’s License Reinstatement, up to or exceeding $235, Increase in vehicle insurance, up to an average of $4500 (over three years), Added expense for education, victim funds and time off work and transportation, approximately $500-$600. Depending on the State you may also be subject to pay for alcohol treatment required by the courts. This treatment may be at an in house facility which will increase the cost significantly. These figures do not include the cost of an attorney, court appointed or one of your own choosing. Contacting a drunk driving attorney is the best way to determine your potential fees.

Bail

After your arrest, it is possible that you may have to post bail to leave. The amount of this cost will depend on if you have the funds to post bail or if you need to use a bonding company. Using a bonding company has the potential to raise the fee significantly. Bonding companies typically post the bail for the defendant for a fee that is typically a percentage of the bail. DUI Attorney Salt Lake City will be instrumental in assisting your understanding of the cost of bail, how a bonding company works and if it is right for you. A DUI attorney has specific knowledge in this area. The cost for first time offenders may start on the low end and increase if there are consecutive offences of DUI.

Increase in your personal coverage

A DUIAttorney can tell you that with the arrest of a DUI you can probably expect your insurance premiums to rise. As stated DUI Attorney Salt Lake, the average amount of time the increase will stay is approximately 3-5 years. Some first offenders can expect a premium hike of up to or exceeding $4500.00 over three years, although you will need to contact your insurance company directly in order to determine the actual premium. It is possible that your insurance company may refuse to reinstate or renew your policy after at DUI arrest, and or possible conviction. You will likely be considered high risk and not ideal to insure. Another possible policy that can be affected by a DUI is your life insurance policy. Because, in most cases, a life insurance policy does ask you if your license has ever been suspended the premium of your existing policy may rise by several hundred dollars. If you are looking for a new policy you will be required to disclose that you have had a suspended license. It is likely that this will flag you as a higher risk individual to insure.

Financial Loss

Depending on the outcome of your case you may have personal financial loss. A DUI Attorney Salt Lake can help you determine what your costs maybe, but in short you may have loss of employment, temporary or permanent, or have to take time off of work in order to be present for court appointed community service. You also may have financial loss if you are required to pay for alcohol treatment, required to install a breathalyzer in your vehicle (also known as an interlock device). A DUI Attorney Salt Lake can provide more specific information on how these fees are expected to be paid, if you are able to formulate a payment plan for some of the costs, or if they can reduce the fees in any way. A DUI Attorney Salt Lake has specific information and knowledge on how to best prepare you for financial hardship that may accompany a DUI conviction. Checking in with your attorney to make arraignments for payment to all your fees in a timely manner will help the process move along smoothly.

Matthew L. Nebeker, known as Mr. DUI is a top-rated Salt Lake City DUI Lawyer who concentrates on Drunk Driving, DUI & DLD Defense. Matt dedicates himself and his law practice to aggressively defending those accused of driving under the influence. You can contact us at tel. no. (801) 988-9617 or visit us at http://www.mrduilaws.com/attorney-profile/.