If you have a friend or family member who is a lawyer, have them ask their colleagues in the legal community.  If you know a police officer, prosecutor, or judge, ask them to ask for the names of the best lawyers.  It is not advisable to hire the first lawyer you speak with, the closest to your home, or one who is more interested in discussing legal fees than your case.

The most respected lawyers tend to attract plenty of cases through referrals. However, it is wise to get several referrals if possible.

Most privately retained Ohio DUI attorneys will charge a fixed flat fee for representation on an Ohio DUI. This is not a retainer. Hourly rates are not charged and hours are not kept. It is simply the minimum fee the attorney charges for representation. Legal fees can go up for certain events such as a Jury Trial or Appeal.

Make sure that you know exactly what the cost is for representation and what the legal fees do not cover. It is advisable that legal fees cover all the work necessary to see a case through fruition at the trial court level. It is not unusual for jury fees to be assessed later in the case.

Hourly fees are open-ended and leave the client exposed to very large bills while the case is handled. Whereas flat, fixed fees permit the attorney to gauge the true cost of representation since the attorney sees these types of cases every day.

Legal fees can be too high or too low. Conventional wisdom holds that the higher the legal fee the more prominent and experienced the lawyer / law firm are. Legal fees can be too low. You can generally tell when an attorney's fee is of such a low level that some necessary work is not going to be done or the competency of the lawyer in this field may not be as strong as others.

Legal fees should always be reduced to writing. If a lawyer pulls a fee out of the air and does not put it into writing this is a warning sign of potential problems down the road. The number two complaint about lawyers with the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel involves legal fee disputes. The number one complaint is poor or infrequent communication. (We have never had a Complaint filed against us with the Ohio Disciplinary Counsel)

Although we are not privy to every lawyer's billing practices, we have a pretty good idea what others charge for DUI representation in Columbus, Ohio. A good balance of legal fees for representation over several months for a First Offense Ohio DUI / OVI defense should range from $3,500 - $5,500. Legal fees typically go up if you have prior DUI arrests, you caused a car accident, or if you are on probation.

Legal fees can also be increased if representation is needed for developing an alcohol recovery team, representation before an administrative agency like the Ohio State Medical Board, or for appeals and trials.

There are some really good attorneys in the greater Columbus area. If we do not accept your case for one reason or another, we will gladly refer you to another law firm who we personally believe will be the best fit for you.

Just call us. 614.481.4480 (24 hours per day)