Were you recently arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs? You need a Simi Valley DUI lawyer to help minimize the consequences you face.
From fines to jail time to losing your professional license, a DUI can seriously affect your life–but it doesn’t have to.
Los Angeles DUI Attorney can connect you with a lawyer who may be able to help you get your charges dismissed, reduce your charges, or find another way to help lessen the consequences of your arrest. Schedule a free consultation today.
Is a DUI Expensive?
If this is your first infraction, you may be curious about how much a DUI costs in Southern California.
Maybe you think a lawyer won’t be worth the cost, but even your first DUI can cost you thousands of dollars in court fees, fines, and increased insurance premiums.
Some of the expenses you might incur include:
- Bail bond: up to $2,500
- DMV driver’s license fee: $125
- 3-month DUI school: $575
- Victim restitution fund: $140
- Vehicle impound and towing fee: $350
- Booking and fingerprinting: $170
- Approximate court fees: $1,245
- Minimum fine: $390
- Car insurance premiums: an additional $1,000+ per year for a decade
Should You Accept a Plea Bargain for a DUI?
If you don’t know about DUI plea bargains, they’re a give-and-take exchange where you agree to a guilty plea in exchange for a lesser sentence.
Without a lawyer by your side, the prosecutor will offer you the worst plea bargain possible. A lawyer can negotiate with the prosecutor for a deal that will have the fewest impacts on your life possible.
What Happens if You Get Convicted of a DUI?
If you aren’t sure about whether it’s worth it to hire a DUI attorney, you should know what to expect after a DUI conviction.
A lawyer’s goal is to minimize how much your life is affected by the DUI because a full conviction comes with many consequences, like the ones listed below.
Suspended Driver’s License
Unless you hire a DUI lawyer within 10 days of your arrest to help you file an administrative per se hearing, your license will be suspended 30 days after your arrest, even if you don’t end up convicted of the DUI.
Your license will remain suspended anywhere from a few months to a few years. Aact fast to try to avoid losing it.
Usage of an Ignition Interlock Device (IID)
The Statewide Ignition Interlock Device Pilot Program may require you to have an IID installed on your vehicle at your own expense.
Some of the fees associated with an IID include:
- One-time installation fee: $75-150
- Monthly calibration fee: $25+
- Monthly lease: $70-100
Fines
For your first DUI, your fines may cost anywhere from $390 to $3,600. A DUI lawyer may be able to get your fines reduced or even dropped.
Jail Time
DUI convictions come with prison sentences ranging from as little as 48 hours to six months for a first-time offense and as long as up to three years for four or more DUI offenses within 10 years.
DUI School
Most DUI convictions include a requirement for an alcohol treatment or education program that you must pay for yourself. These programs cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the length and type of program you’re required to take.
How Can a DUI Attorney Help You?
By now, you’re probably starting to see how hiring a DUI attorney may save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Here are a few ways that a DUI lawyer can help minimize the consequences you face after a DUI arrest:
- Represent you during DMV hearings, trials, and other proceedings
- Negotiate with the prosecutor to get you a plea bargain
- Challenge the legality of the arresting police officer’s conduct
- Use evidence to build a solid defense strategy
- Gather evidence like witness testimony, blood test results, the police report, and video footage
- Fight to get your criminal charges reduced or dropped
- Help you find an alcohol education class or treatment program
- Challenge the validity of blood alcohol concentration test results
- Help you avoid automatic license suspension
- Investigate your DUI arrest
Contact a Simi Valley DUI Lawyer Now
A Simi Valley DUI lawyer can help you avoid the worst consequences of your DUI arrest and may save you thousands of dollars by having your charges reduced or even eliminated.
Schedule a free consultation today to find out how a DUI attorney can help in your individual case.
You should contact Simi Valley DUI Lawyer as soon as possible after your arrest to connect with an attorney. You only have 10 days to prevent your driver’s license from being suspended. Don’t wait; schedule a consultation promptly so an attorney can help you potentially keep your license, avoid jail, and save you money, stress, and hassle.
