Most people don’t think about criminal lawyer fees until they need one. And by then, it’s often too late. The best time to start thinking about criminal lawyer fees is well before you actually need a criminal lawyer. That way, you’ll know what your options are and you won’t be rushed into making a decision. Our fee policies are outlined below, as well as some other options you may want to look into, such as Legal Aid. If you have any questions whatsoever, please don’t hesitate to give our office a call and we would be happy to help you out.
The lawyers at Pringle Chivers Sparks Teskey welcome the opportunity to meet with individuals as soon as possible after initial contact is made. This first consultation is free of charge. During this meeting, the allegations are discussed and an assessment is made as to the requisite services to be provided by our firm.
In general, our lawyers will provide a flat rate as opposed to an hourly rate for legal fees. Some of our members will quote a flat fee plus disbursements and G.S.T.; others will quote a flat fee inclusive of disbursements and G.S.T. In any event, upon concluding the first consultation, a client will have a general idea, if not a firm quotation, of the costs involved in the defence of his or her criminal charges. It could be, however, that disclosure (the police reports to be provided by the Crown Prosecutors’ Office) is required before a final fee is agreed upon. It is not unusual for the process of receiving disclosure to take anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks, and sometimes longer.
The total estimated cost of services is generally deposited with our office prior to the final disposition of a client’s matter. The funds are then held in our trust account until all services are completed.
We accept payments in the form of cash, cheque, money order, Visa, MasterCard, debit, and wire transfer.
In the event that an individual is unable to provide all funds in one lump sum, our firm does offer payment plans. We do understand that legal fees can be unexpected and onerous, and arrangements can be discussed further with our lawyers with respect to payment plans.
Several of our lawyers are members of the Legal Aid Roster and are pleased to assist those individuals approved for Legal Aid coverage. If you wish further information regarding Legal Aid Alberta, please visit their website.
