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If you have been charged with a crime in Williamson County, Texas, you could face fines, probation, and even jail time. Aside from these direct consequences, you may also be at risk of losing your job, losing custody of your children, and having a permanent criminal record. While you could rely on a public defender, due to their heavy caseloads and the high-stakes nature of your situation, it is recommended that you hire an attorney to defend you against the crimes with which you have been charged. Still, lawyers aren’t cheap, and you may be wondering how much you should pay for a Williamson County criminal lawyer’s services. Here are a few things to consider as you weigh the pros and cons of any particular fee arrangement.
Determining Your Fee Arrangement
When you hire a lawyer to represent your interests, typically, you will first have a consultation during which you will discuss your charges and the facts of your case. Based on the information that you ultimately provide to the lawyer, they will then discuss how their fee is to be calculated and ultimately paid. For minor, less serious charges, the fee arrangement may involve paying a flat fee to handle the matter.
For more involved cases, you may be required to provide what is known as a retainer. A retainer is an amount of money paid upfront to hire a lawyer to represent you. In most cases, the lawyer will also charge an hourly rate for their service, which will then be billed against the retainer. Once the retainer is exhausted, you may be required to put down additional money for the lawyer to continue working on your case. It is important to understand that anything the lawyer does in connection with your case will result in you being billed. So, if you call the lawyer to discuss the status of your case for 30 minutes, expect to be billed for one-half hour by the lawyer.
What Is The Typical Rate Charged By A Lawyer In Williamson County?
Like many services, what you will pay to have a lawyer represent your interests in a criminal matter will involve a range of prices. More established lawyers will typically charge more for their services than a lawyer that is fresh out of law school. Similarly, less serious charges will likely not cost as much as a robbery, murder, or rape charge. Still, how much you will end up being billed will also heavily depend on the complexity of your case, which in turn will affect the amount of time that your lawyer will have to spend on the matter. For example, if your case goes to trial, during which multiple witnesses testify and other forms of evidence are presented, you can expect to pay more than a case that is dismissed early on in the process due to a lack of evidence.
Generally speaking, for the services of a felony lawyer in Williamson County, you can expect to pay anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the seriousness of the charge and whether the case ultimately goes to trial. For misdemeanors, expect to pay anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000. Translated into an hourly rate, the average felony lawyer in Williamson County will charge roughly $300 per hour. Again, the exact total cost of hiring a lawyer in Williamson County will greatly depend on the circumstances of your particular case and the experience and reputation of any lawyer whom you seek to hire.
Do You Need A Lawyer?
If you are facing a criminal charge in Williamson County, it is highly recommended that you hire a criminal defense attorney. Whether you hire a lawyer will almost certainly affect the outcome of your case in significant ways.
You must remember that when you hire any lawyer, you’ll have a trained professional on your side who has an ethical duty to put your interest first and to give you informed, objective advice on how to handle your case. This means that, at a minimum, they will advocate on behalf of your rights, and you will have someone on your side that will have your best interest at the forefront of their approach. Facing criminal charges alone leaves you vulnerable to overzealous prosecutors and shoddy police work. With no line of defense against the state, there is too great of a risk that your rights will be trampled and that you will be unfairly targeted and/or unjustly incarcerated.
Williamson County, Texas Criminal Defense Attorneys
The lawyers at Cofer & Connelly understand that the decision to hire a criminal defense attorney is influenced by many factors. That is why Cofer & Connelly does its best to be upfront about the services it offers and what its clients can expect. The firm prides itself on its reputation and the hundreds of satisfied clients who have received the most favorable outcomes possible in their criminal cases. With over 60 years of combined experience, when you decide to hire Cofer & Connelly you will benefit from the services of some of the best lawyers who are practicing today. Reach out to them today by calling (512) 991-0576 or by contacting them online to learn more about how they can help.
