I ran across this article on avvo.com. It is a great article on the potential amount of money you could lose for a DUI conviction. The article in full can be found at http://www.avvo.com/topics/166-dui/sections/3924-dui-costs.
DUI Costs
The financial cost of a DUI conviction can range as much as $24,000 or more when after the dust settles. This often includes fines, bail, increased premiums for auto insurance, legal fees, loss of income from being fired, taking days off work to attend court, and alcohol education classes that will likely be ordered by the court. In fact, you don’t even need to be convicted in order to start racking up certain charges when facing a DUI.
Even though many jurisdictions consider a first DUI offense as a misdemeanor, the fines are so steep because most district attorneys and judges take a DUI extremely seriously.
Potential Average Costs Related to a DUI:
- Fines and court costs – $300 to $2,500
- Attorney fees – $2,500 to $10,000
- Bail – $150 to $2,500
- DUI Education School – $150 to $2,000
- Car towing and impounding – $100 to $1,200
- License reinstatement – $95 to $250
- Car ignition interlock device – $325 and up
- Incarceration costs – $10 to $50
- Increased preminums with auto insurance over one year – $5,000 to $10,000 over the next 5 years
Additional Expenses:
- Temporary loss of income
- Periodic blood tests
- Monthly monitoring fees
- Loss of Job
The true financial impact on a single person is difficult to estimate as the costs can vary greatly depending on certain details such as jurisdiction, previous driving record, fines, attorney fees, and circumstances specific to the actual incident. Additionally, you need to consider whether there was any additional damage to other cars, properties, or any injuries.
People who receive DUIs miss a great deal of work not only to attend court, but also to perform community service aspects of their sentence, or even jail time.
In many states, your license will be suspended for a minimum of 90 days just for the DUI arrest itself. If you get a DUI conviction, your license could potentially be suspended for as long as an entire year or more.
If you are a stockbroker, airline pilot, nurse, lawyer or doctor, your professional license could also be revoked. Additionally, a DUI will be on your criminal record, visible to any potential employer that performs a background check on you. A DUI conviction will stay on your record for as long as 15 years.
Las Vegas DUI Lawyer
If you do get arrested for a DUI, the best thing you can do is hire an experienced DUI attorney. If you feel you have been wrongly arrested for DUI, then you definitely need to get a DUI attorney on your side. Nobody goes out with the intention of receiving a DUI, we understand the cost and embarrassment that come with the arrest. Let us help you get back on the right path. Call us or fill out a contact form for a Free Evaluation with a Las Vegas DUI attorney.
