What Causes The Differences In Criminal Defense Lawyers' Fees8256363

There several factors that typically affect the legal fees charged by criminal defense lawyers. There are many contributory factors that would lead up to the amount that any client who is facing criminal charges in court would have to pay his or her lawyer. We will be looking at the said factors, with a view to understand how each of these factors actually ends up having an effect on the legal fees charged by lawyers who represent people in criminal proceedings.

It is worth mentioning, before going any further with this discussion, that fees for legal services are, in actual fact, not charged in a 'totally arbitrary' manner (in most jurisdictions). It is different from your usual buyer-seller relationship, which is done on a basis where the seller charges any amount that he thinks the buyer is willing to pay. There are certain rules - the quanta of counsel remuneration - which governs the determination of the legal fees of lawyers. These rules have to be followed. It, however, tends to name the minimum figures that can be charged by the lawyers.

It is against the lawyers' code of ethics  to demoralize their professional colleagues when they set too low fees. That is why the minimums are determined. But it is also worth noting that though they normally do a good job in terms of specifying the minimum fees that lawyers should charge, the rules normally leave a lot of leeway in terms of the ceilings (the highest figures chargeable). As a result, many lawyers take this as an opportunity to set their legal fees in such a way that they vary from lawyer to lawyer. But that is not the only explanation for the variations that we find nowadays.

In determining what to charge their clients, criminal defense lawyers typically look (first) at the types of cases the clients have. A lawyer would obviously charge more for a case where he has to mount a defense for a murder case as compared to a case of petty theft. Compared to a petty theft case, it is more likely for a murder case to be more drawn out. Furthermore, to prepare an adequate defense for such a case, the lawyer would have to undertake more research and generally do a lot of work to ensure that the client gets adequate representation. This clearly justifies the higher rate the lawyer charges for his services.

Further, in determining what to charge their clients, lawyers who appear for clients in criminal trials look at the specific stages (within the lives of the trials) at which they are retained to represent the clients. Thus, for any given case, a lawyer who is engaged right from the beginning is (quite naturally) likely to charge more than one who is engaged at some point within the life of the proceedings.

The legal fees would also be hugely influenced by the standing or professional reputation of the criminal defense lawyer in the legal community. Compared to up-and-coming lawyers, high-profile lawyers are generally more highly-paid.

Recommended links: Criminal Defense Attorney Incline Village