A DUI doesn’t just mean that you’ll lose your driving privilege. The DUI cost is significant, usually over $10,000, and you’ll also have to take off of work to attend court appearances, probation meetings, education classes and more.
If driving is a key job responsibility for your job, you may also lose your job.
Working with a Colorado DUI lawyer can help you reduce the cost of your DUI and possibly lower the charges against you. The true cost of a DUI is enough to put the average person in significant debt.
The true cost of a DUI is more than just money; it’s your freedom and future prospects. The State of Colorado takes drunk driving very seriously. Fines and fees associated with DUIs in the state have increased – and will only continue to rise.
Along with monetary costs, offenders also face other costs that can linger for years, including:
These are just the personal costs of a DUI conviction in Colorado. There are also monetary costs associated with a conviction.
According to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the average cost of a first DUI in the state is $13,530.
What does this cost include?
A DUI can have significant monetary and personal costs. If you are facing DUI charges, it is crucial to hire a Colorado DUI attorney as soon as possible.
Colorado’s Department of Transportation is strict on DUI offenses. When a person goes to court and decides to represent themselves, they’ll spend $10,000 or more. The costs can be much higher for each subsequent DUI.
If you want to reduce your DUI costs, your best course of action is to avoid a conviction.
One of the most serious mistakes drivers make is pleading guilty. An experienced attorney can make a strong argument on your behalf to lower your costs and the potential conviction. When we represent clients, we start the process by:
Prosecutors must, beyond a reasonable doubt, prove that you’re guilty. The burden of proof allows your attorney to build a strong defense that casts doubt on the allegations.
A few of the many ways that we may build a defense on your behalf include:
Reducing the charges against you is the best way to reduce the costs related to a DUI.
Hiring a DUI lawyer is an upfront expense that a lot of drivers are reluctant to make, but hiring a lawyer is a worthwhile investment. A lawyer is there to help reduce your charges, potentially saving you from losing your license, and the lawyer will also try to have the costs reduced.
Your chances of eliminating the charges against you, or reducing the sentence significantly, increase when you’re working with a lawyer.
Unless you are a lawyer with experience, you can expect costs of $13,000 or more. Not only does hiring a lawyer help you reduce that case, the lawyer will also try to reduce the appearances that you need to make in:
If your lawyer is able to reduce or beat your charges, you’ll be able to spend less time on the appearances above which saves you even more money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jail time for a Colorado DUI depends on a few factors. There is no mandatory jail time for a first offense, but you could still be facing 5 days to a year in jail. For subsequent DUI convictions there is mandatory jail time which could be up to two years.
The cost of a DUI in Colorado depends on a few different factors. Previous convictions and the circumstances surrounding the DUI arrest are the two biggest factors. Depending on the situation, a DUI can cost a person anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000.
In Colorado, a DUI charge generally comes with 12 points off of your license. Some extenuating circumstances (such as leaving the scene of an associated accident) can result in additional points while pleading to a lesser offense such as DWAI can result in 8 points.
