Today I wanted to have a chat about how much a traffic lawyer should cost. I understand that the priority here is your licence, but how much a lawyer is going to charge is an important factor as well.
Here are a few things to think about as you’re looking to engage a traffic lawyer in Sydney.
Firstly, a lawyer shouldn’t charge too little or too much. Most traffic lawyers operate on an hourly rate and they’ll give you an estimate or a fixed fee based on how many hours they think they will need to put into your matter to get it through to finalisation. So it goes without saying that if the final figure they’re giving you is too low, they’re perhaps not planning on putting much time into your matter at all. On the flip side, if the number is too high, then you might need to think about whether they are ripping you off or perhaps working inefficiently.
A good question to ask when a solicitor gives you an estimate or a fixed fee is how they arrived at that number. If their answer to that question doesn’t wash with you then perhaps they’re not the right lawyer for your matter.
Secondly, a lawyer should give you a single-figure estimate of how much your matter is going to cost in total. In fact, with traffic matters, it’s often possible for them to give a fixed fee so that you know exactly what your matter is going to cost.
You are certainly within your rights to ask a solicitor if they can give you a fixed fee for your matter and ask for an explanation if they say that it’s not something that is available in your situation.
Thirdly, it’s important to understand the timing of the payment. A lot of lawyers during traffic matters will ask for a retainer payment upfront and then for the balance of the fees to be paid before your matter is finalised in court. It is important that you understand not just how much money is expected but when it is expected to be paid so that there are no surprises.
Finally, your lawyer should be open and frank in discussing fees with you from the very first consultation.
At Ainsley Law, our first consultation is free. At the end of that meeting, our lawyer will give you a quote. That way, you will know exactly much your matter will cost before you need to decide. We also try to offer fixed fees where possible so that you don’t have to worry about how much the services will cost at the end of your matter, enabling you to concentrate on what matters most – your license.
Feel free to give us a call today!
