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The

Law Offices Of

James A.H. Bell, P.C.

865.637.2900

ATTORNEY FEES IN CRIMINAL CASE

Knoxville, TN Criminal Defense Lawyer

One of the most frequent questions potential clients have when they contact the office is, “how much will it cost?”  We understand that cost is an important consideration when choosing a lawyer.  However, when deciding which lawyer to hire, comparing costs and going with the cheapest alternative is a common and avoidable mistake.  Few clients, before speaking with us, understand how criminal defense lawyers charge and why.  The following article should give you a better understanding fee arrangements in criminal cases.

Lawyers defending criminal cases typically charge a fee for legal services to be paid in advance.  Lawyers have no inventory to sell, except their time, skills and abilities.  Clients often wonder why lawyers charge so much money to represent the accused.  There is a simple truth that explains the cost of legal services: law firms are businesses, and businesses, to survive and continue operating must meet significant overhead expenses and make a profit.  If a law firm has an overhead of fifty thousand dollars a month just to break even, paying rent, salaries, utilities, and other expenses, that money has to be paid by clients.

Like with many things in life, with legal services you often get what you pay for.  When a lawyer charges a $1,000 fee and pleads his client guilty at the first or second setting of the case, that lawyer will likely have made more than $500.00 per hour and not done any significant work!  Another lawyer might charge $10,000 for the exact same case, but the lawyer who charged $10,000 would be expected to prepare a complete and thorough investigation of the facts, interview witnesses, consult experts, conduct legal research, prepare a defense, prepare for and conduct hearings, and demand that the prosecution prove its case.  It’s clear which client would usually receive the better outcome.  Your case is serious and you need serious representation. The Bell Law Firm will pursue your case to the fullest extent possible under the law.

The lawyer who charged $1,000 in the previous example would have to take on far more cases than a lawyer who charged more.  Lawyers who charge low fees generally are forced to run a volume practice, taking on large numbers of cases to meet overhead and make a profit.  By definition, a lawyer with a volume practice will not be able to spend the same amount of time on your case as a lawyer who carefully screens cases.  The low cost lawyer will often have three, four, or more cases all set on the same day.  You must ask yourself, if your lawyer’s attention is split four ways, are you receiving the attention that your very serious and important case deserves?  At the Bell Law Firm we do not run a volume practice.  We are not paid to play.  When you have a serious case we provide the serious representation that you need.

Lawyers are governed by rules of professional ethics and those rules apply specifically to setting and accepting fees.  Whether a fee is ethically acceptable depends upon its reasonableness.  There are many considerations when determining the reasonableness of a fee and when you seek representation from the Bell Law Firm we will always explain the factors that go into setting your fee.  Not only will those factors be explained to you, but all attorney client relationships at the Bell Law Firm are governed by a written agreement for legal services.  That agreement must be read and accepted by all potential clients.  It covers most every aspect of the professional relationship that exists between an attorney and his client.  No matter what lawyer you choose you should always insist upon a written agreement detailing the scope of the representation and the lawyer’s obligations to you.  You should also insist upon receipts for all monies paid, whether by check, credit card, cash, money order, or otherwise.  

Criminal Defense Attorney in Knoxville TN

The Law Offices of James A.H. Bell, P.C. will evaluate your individual criminal case, determine if there are defenses to the criminal charges, and establish a reasonable fee, in writing by contract.  The nature of the fee will be discussed and you will know exactly where the time will be spent.  You will have a choice: pay a non-refundable flat fee for a specific case, or pay per hour.  If you pay per hour, you can expect to deposit a sufficient sum, a retainer, against which we will bill by the hour.  If the funds on deposit run low, additional funds would need to be deposited.  This is the method recommended by criminal lawyers who follow the rules of ethics. And, at the Law Offices of James A.H. Bell, P.C., that is the practice we follow.