This Blog Post was brought to you by the Slade Law Firm – your San Antonio traffic ticket attorney
Auto Insurance Costs
Every automobile insurance provider has its own policies and maintains separate point systems from the Texas DPS. For accurate information about how a speeding ticket conviction or other traffic infraction may affect your particular policy, please consult your agent. Listed below are links to answers provided by major auto insurance companies to common questions about what affects the price of car insurance.
What Affects Car Insurance Price? (StateFarm)
Legal Fees & Court Expenses
If you will be hiring an attorney to represent you, legal fees are another element you must factor into the equation. There are thousands of traffic lawyers to choose from, each with varying degrees of expertise and experience and charging various fees for their services. In any case, a lawyer will likely be much more familiar with not only local traffic laws but understand the legal process of the courts and how to best pursue a course of action. Most offer free consultations by phone or in person. When speaking with them, be sure to share the details of your entire case including any complications like a suspended license, a motor vehicle accident involved, pending criminal charges, etc so that they may best assist you.
In the case that you decide to have a trial of your case, you may be advised or required to personally appear in court. Every court has its own schedule and days when traffic cases are heard, so you may have to schedule time off from work or school and make arrangements to attend. If you live far away from the court, you will also want to consider the price of gas, vehicle maintenance, and traveling time.
How Much Will My Speeding Ticket Really Cost?
Only after calculating the costs of fines, state surcharges, Driver Assessment fees, auto insurance policy increases, travel expenses, attorney fees, and precious time spent traveling and/or researching and preparing your case, only then can you get an accurate figure of how much money you will really spend on a traffic ticket. The final costs will also depend largely on your course of action. If you choose to hire an attorney, you may have more costs upfront, but pay less in penalties as well as secure yourself against future penalties. If you choose to represent yourself, you may save on legal fees but spend on travel fees and time off from work. Without experienced legal counsel, you may also end up paying far more in fines and other penalties. If you plead guilty to your original charges, you can avoid paying any legal fees but will likely pay higher fines and other penalties that will damage your driving history and make any future reduction of charges more difficult to secure.
Only you can decide what course of action is best for your particular situation. If you will be seeking legal counsel, however, please consider our office for your representation. We have been representing clients charged with traffic violations and misdemeanors in Texas for many years. We offer affordable fees in most courts and appear on your behalf in most cases without you having to attend. We offer free consultations by phone, email, and in-person at our office. For a free consultation of your case, please contact us with the details of your case.