Sexual abuse cases can have variable costs, as there are many unforeseen expenses during the lawsuit procedure. Most law firms charge their clients a flat fee for their services. Other firms like The Hogle Law Firm can break the case down into several phases and charge their clients by phase.
No one can predict the verdict of a sexual abuse case, which makes it more risky and requires more time for lawyers to attend such cases. As a victim who has been through a sexual assault, you need to know the specific payment steps that you will go through. It is one of the main reasons to choose your lawyer and to have a clear idea of your payment fees.
The hourly rate system
Civil attorneys defending clients against sex crimes often charge them for hours. However, sexual abuse is a criminal case and, by law, an attorney must remain with his client. Only the judge can release a criminal lawyer from the defense of his client. That creates great liability for attorneys and increases their median hourly wage.
The risk of having a client who is financially unable to pay their fees is also a possibility for criminal attorneys. When lawyers enter a sexual abuse case, they have no guarantee that they will be paid on time for their services in court. Sexual abuse cases can take between six and twenty-four months to reach a verdict. That creates a huge financial burden for attorneys and has been one of the main reasons for an increase in hourly fees in recent years.
You also need to understand that attorneys charge their clients for case preparation. They need to read witness testimonies and police reports, which is a time-consuming task. The hourly wage system is advantageous when the sexual abuse case is resolved quickly. It is also useful for the attorney who is paid for the exact hours spent on the case and is free to take another case.
The flat rate system
Many attorneys prefer to offer written contracts to their clients. They will be paid for their legal services only after the jury has reached a verdict. Therefore, clients know in advance what the financial expectations of their lawyer are. Some of them may add that contractual agreement to the agreement they seek with the sexual abuser. It is always a great relief to know your fees and pay the attorney after the litigation process has come to an end.
Payment system in phases
Some attorneys divide the sexual abuse case into the pretrial phase and the trial phase. They charge a flat fee for each phase to give their clients the opportunity to drop the charges and seek a settlement. In that case, the attorneys will receive the pre-trial payment and a small percentage of the settlement. However, some customers may not have the financial capacity to proceed with a test, as the test fees can be outrageous.
Additional costs related to sexual abuse cases
There are several additional costs when filing a sexual abuse case.
- Research costs: Many attorneys add the costs of the investigation to their fees. These costs have to do with your legal team and the necessary research on the sexual abuser, his profile, background and proof of abuse.
- Stool costs: Attorneys can charge you separately for receiving witness statements. That is a painful procedure that requires a lot of effort and attention on the part of your attorney to ensure the delivery of tangible evidence.
- Cost of the medical examiner: Coroners are involved in sexual abuse cases. Criminal attorneys cooperate with coroners who carefully investigate evidence of sexual abuse on the victim’s body. Such services are quite expensive and offer credible evidence to use in the testing phase.
Average attorney costs for a sexual assault case
Criminal attorneys could charge $ 200 to $ 500 per hour for their services. If you prefer to go with a flat fee settlement (contractual arrangement), typical costs come up to $ 50,000 for a complicated sexual abuse case, including the pre-trial phase and the trial phase.
Sex offenders can face a lifetime prison sentence, as sexual abuse is a first degree felony in almost any state in the United States. This is why it pays to hire the best sexual assault attorneys to increase your chances of winning in court. You can then request to liquidate the convict’s property to receive compensation and pay all necessary attorney’s fees.
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