How Much Does a Criminal Lawyer Cost in NYC?

If you are facing criminal charges in NYC, you probably want to know how much it costs to hire a criminal lawyer. Although nobody ever wants to have to deal with a criminal case, your freedom and reputation are important, so it’s worth the cost to get a high-quality NYC criminal lawyer.

This article discusses the factors that affect the cost of a criminal lawyer in NYC, and it discusses standard fees at Cody Warner, P.C.

Factors That Affect the Cost of a Criminal Lawyer in NYC

The two biggest factors that affect the cost of a criminal lawyer are the standard market rate and the experience of the lawyer.

Market Rate

New York City is a big market for law, which means that there are many lawyers available to you. Although lawyers offer their services at different prices, the prices are usually within a range of roughly $250-$700 per hour. Since there are so many great options for lawyers, most lawyers usually don’t price their services outside that range, because they might lose business to better priced competition.

How a criminal law firm prices its service within that range is typically based on the experience level of the lawyer and the demand for his services.

Criminal Lawyer Experience Level

The biggest factor that affects the cost of a criminal lawyer in NYC is the experience of the lawyer. A lawyer who has practiced law for over a decade will cost more than a lawyer who just graduated from law school.

Seasoned experience in the courtroom is very valuable, and defendants pay a premium for lawyers who have taken many cases to trial. Although lawyers fresh out of law school can be brilliant, the real-world experience of fighting cases in court gives seasoned lawyers wisdom that only comes with time.  

How Much Does It Cost to Hire NYC Criminal Lawyer Cody Warner?

Although many criminal lawyer websites talk about how much it costs to hire an NYC criminal lawyer, most don’t actually tell you what they charge. Cody Warner, P.C. believes in transparency so that prospective clients can know what to expect, so we publish our rates.

Our current criminal lawyer rate is $350 per hour.

When you retain Cody Warner, P.C., you will pay a refundable retainer. The retainer amount is dependent on the complexity of your case.  As we perform work, we will withdraw funds earned from the retainer. If your case is resolved without earning the full retainer, we refund you the remaining balance. If your retainer balance runs low, then you may need to replenish the retainer.

Although we bill at our hourly rate for felonies and other complex cases, many misdemeanors have predictable time commitments, and consequently we offer flat-rate pricing for most misdemeanors. Our current flat rate is $5,000 for all pre-trial work. That includes all court appearances, investigations, legal research, motion writing, and negotiations with the prosecution. We do offer payment plans for our flat-fee cases so that you can break up the payments.

Some very minor offenses—typically some types of cases in which you receive a desk appearance ticket or summons—can be dismissed at your first court appearance. For those cases that are dismissed at arraignment, we offer a flat rate of $2,500.

Why Hire a Private NYC Criminal Lawyer?

Criminal law is one of the only legal fields where you are guaranteed legal representation. If you cannot afford a private attorney, the court is legally obligated to give you a free lawyer, known as a public defender. If you can get a lawyer for free, why pay for the costs of a private NYC criminal lawyer?

Using a Public Defender

If you have a public defender, you will not pay anything for your legal representation–public defenders are paid by the public defenders offices, not you.

Many court appointed lawyers are excellent, so you may be able to get excellent representation for free. However, you don’t get to choose your public defender–it’s the luck of the draw. Although you could end up with a great public defender, you could also receive a public defender who doesn’t inspire confidence.

Since a criminal case puts your freedom and reputation at stake, you may want to research and select an accomplished private lawyer of your choice. Doing so helps provide confidence that you will get the best possible outcome for your case.

The Value of Choice

When you hire a private attorney, you get to choose your lawyer. You have the option to research different lawyers, speak with them, read reviews, and ultimately pick the one that you are comfortable with.

Different lawyers have different styles and approaches. A lawyer that one person likes might be disliked by another person. For instance, some people may want their lawyer to be a dramatic showman in court, while others may want their lawyer to be more poised and polished. Some people may want their lawyer to be compassionate, while others may want their lawyer to be aggressive. Of course, lawyers, like all people, have their own mix of qualities. When you choose your own private lawyer, you get to decide what sort of lawyer is going to be right for you.

Criminal cases are serious. The outcome of a criminal case can affect whether you are in jail and whether you have a criminal record. You may have very important decisions to make during your case. Therefore, it is critical for you to select a lawyer whose advice you will trust. Even though it will cost you to retain a private criminal lawyer in New York, part of what you pay for is peace of mind. When you retain a private lawyer of your choice, you can select a lawyer who you know is excellent and will get you the best possible outcome.

Need Help? Contact Cody Warner, P.C.

If you are facing criminal charges in NYC, contact Cody Warner, P.C. for a free consultation. We can evaluate your case to determine the best path forward.