How much would an attorney be for a shoplifting case? 45 Answers as of November 07, 2011

The fees attorney charge varies widely from county to county and lawyer to lawyer. You will need to contact lawyer individually. You can get a court appointed attorney only if you are indigent - own no property, disabled, full time student, etc.

You should absolutely hire a private attorney if you can afford one. Public Defenders have a large caseload which means they simply cannot give every case the attention it deserves. Attorney's fees for a shoplifting case will reasonably be anywhere from $1800 to $3000 to even higher. It depends on which attorney you decide to hire. Some attorneys will give you a quote over the phone.

I think that the fee would range from $1,500 to $2,500 assuming no motions, hearings or trial. I cannot express an opinion about which lawyer would be better except that you choose a retained lawyer and the other kind is assigned.

You need to contact the attorney directly, because it depends on what type(s) of service(s) you want, such as trial, etc. A PD has hundreds of cases to deal with every month and you are just one file on top of a big pile. Don't expect personal and detailed representation.

If you can't afford an attorney you get the Public Defender. Depending on what city you are in the fee would be $2500 and up.

It depends on the lawyer hourly charge or if done on a flat fee the price range is up to the lawyer but you have to decide what you need. Public defenders are very good in this type of cases but you have top qualify for one.

Public attorneys are great attorneys but a lawyer you paid will care for you. However, the quality of the lawyer is directly proportional to how much you spend. i.e. you want a really good attorney, you got to pay for it. You want to be sold down the river, go cheap.

Fees vary depending on the circumstances and what needs to be done in a specific case. You are paying a private lawyer for his time as well as his expertise. Oftentimes, public defenders do not have much of either of those commodities.

There is no set fee for a shoplifting case, as is true in any other case for which an attorney is hired. A public defender is a qualified attorney to handle all criminal cases, however, is only appointed to represent a person if that person is deemed indigent by the court.

Attorneys charge differing amounts. There is no set charge. A lot depends upon what ends up happening with the case and whether or not the case ultimately goes to trial. Generally speaking, a private attorney will probably cost you at minimum $1000 -$1500. A private attorney may be better in some regards, primarily, a private attorney has more control over the number of clients he/she represents, and therefore can devote more time to your case. Public defenders often have huge case loads because their clients are unable to afford private attorneys. To qualify for a public defender, you must be screened by the court to determine the extent of your finances.

There is no way to compare a hypothetical private attorney with a hypothetical P.D. Each one has different experience levels and hourly/flat fees. If you have something to lose by getting a criminal record, then hire a good lawyer a.s.a.p.

Some public defenders are very competent and others may be not so much, as with any other profession. Unfortunately you do not get to choose your attorney unless you hire your own. Each private attorney sets his own rates for his services so I cannot give you a figure. You will just need to call several to get an average.

A private attorney is mostly always a better choice than the public defender because you will meet your private attorney prior to court as opposed to the day of court when the public defender has 15-20 cases. The cost is up to the attorney.

Depends on the court but $2500 to $3500 is probably in the ballpark.

Attorneys are not allowed to compare prices because it would be considered collusion. Since you ask a general question about public defenders I will give you a general answer. In general, public defenders are over-worked and under-paid. Generally, a private attorney will put more time and energy into your defense. Of course there are exceptions to this generalization.

It depends. If it's a felony, it would cost much more than a misdemeanor. Additionally, it depends on the experience of the lawyer. For example, I would probably charge more than the young inexperienced lawyer. Each case is unique and you should consult with a criminal defense attorney to discuss the specifics of your case and your desires.

Shoplifting is called Retail Fraud. There are different degrees of Retail Fraud, with 3rd degree being the lowest. To participate in discovery, Pre-Trial and negotiate a plea and sentence, a fee in the range of $950 to $1500 is common. If charged with Retail Fraud 2nd or 1st, the fees increase. Should you have a trial or several adjournments not the fault of the attorney, then the fees can also increase. The advantage of retaining you own attorney is that you get to meet the attorney prior to court, understand the experience of the attorney, typically get more attention to questions and sometimes to the case, and you get to select the skill level of the attorney. Not so with Court Appointed, as you could get a very new/inexperienced attorney, who you did not choose, who may or may not spend much time consulting with you, (after all, they do not get paid for consulting), or get one who is not so familiar with your sort of case. The choice is yours. Remember, while you may get Court Appointed Counsel, it is not free. You are billed at a rate which is lower, but you are still billed.

Attorney fees vary depending on the experience of the attorney, the geographical area where they practice, and the seriousness of the crime (in this case the value of the property taken, and the criminal record of the accused). If you can afford a private attorney you are not eligible for the public defender.

How much an attorney would charge for shop lifting depends on the attorney and the facts of the case. Most attorneys will give you a free consultation where you supply more facts and they can then evaluate the fee. Public Defenders can be great lawyers or not so great. With Public Defenders though you have to take the one assigned to you. With some offices you may get a new public defender at each stage of the case. Public Defenders have lots of open cases on their case load. For this reason they may not give your case as much attention as a good private attorney may. If you plan on entering a plea in the first or second court appearance you should be ok with a Public defender.

About $1,500 - $2,000. A private attorney will be able to spend more time on your case than a public defender. You may be able to get theft diversion.

An attorney would charge you anything between $ 1500-2500. Whether a private attorney is better than the public defender depends on the attorney you hire.

If it is a first offense Petty Larceny a good criminal lawyer will charge anywhere from $1,000-$5,000 or an hourly rate of $200-$300 which would come to about $1,000-$2,000 depending on the number of appearances, consultations, and other services necessary to investigate the case, evaluate it, and speak to the prosecutor. If it is one appearance the fee should be around $1,0000-$1,500 if you know how to negotiate a "flat rate". Otherwise you may pay whatever the lawyer tells you is his fee, and that will be much more. I charge about $1,000-$1,500 and can usually get an ACD dismissal so that you will not have a record. If you apply for a job with a record for Petty Larceny or even a plea to Disorderly Conduct, you will find it almost impossible to get any good job. If you have the funds it is always best to retain an attorney with 20 years experience in criminal law. He will get the best possible results. Using a public defender can save you a few dollars and cost you a good career. You get what you pay for and public defenders are underpaid and overworked. They sometimes get pretty good results, but you will not know if you are getting the best results and you only get one chance to get a case dismissed. I would not put my future, my reputation, and career chances in the hands of a public defender, they are not the best choice or your best bet for getting the case dismissed. Life is about making good choices. You are not a good decision maker and did not consider the consequences of your actions. You do not have a good moral base and you do not care about your family, your reputation, and your future. You need to learn how to control impulses and act in a mature, moral fashion or you will continue to make bad choices which will lead to bigger problems. I recommend you get a good education, study hard, work hard, follow the Golder Rule and the law, make friends, establish a good reputation, find a career you love, and find success. Unless you see what you are doing wrong you will never change and get on the right path. I hope these words of advice will help you to better yourself and become a successful and happy person.

A public defender will make the same salary either way. A court appointed attorney will make a very small stipend. A private attorney will make what he charges, which may be significantly more. The answer to your second question depends on the attorneys involved.

Anywhere from $1,500 - $3,500 up to trial and $7,500 and up for trial. You shouldn't pay for trial because a lot of the time, these cases can be resolved prior to trial.

The price will depend and vary. You may find one as cheap as $500 for a plea with the average being around $1,000 and probably $1,500 or so on the upper end. You probably won't get a court appointed lawyer because the judge would only give you one if he thought there was a chance you could go to jail and with shoplifting that is almost never going to be the case. You may be eligible for a diversion program which could keep the charge off of your public record. Court appointed attorneys are in private practice as well so there really is no difference in terms of quality. At least have an attorney review the case file before you agree to anything of plea to anything. If nothing else, an attorney should help give you a peace of mind and help you navigate through a system that you are unfamiliar with.

Most experienced attorneys work on what's called fixed fee retainers. That means you pay one price for designated services. Typically it includes all court appearances, research, negotiations, motions, meetings, calls. Depending on the case, it may or may not include pre-trial hearings and trial. The fixed fee is calculated by the attorney based on his experience, the seriousness of the charges, travel distance, if any and your criminal history, if any. In the NYC metro area, I would estimate you would be looking at approximately $1500 - $3500 depending on the attorney. Meet with a few attorneys to see if it's something that you want to do.

I doubt attorneys will quote prices on an open forum such as this. Feel free to contact me if your case is in NYC. I am a former federal and State prosecutor and have been handling criminal defense for over 15 years. Like any other profession, some public defenders are good and some are not. However, they all are forced to carry way too many cases - some times as many as 700 at once. As in life, you get what you pay for.

Class "A" misdemeanor any attorney worth retaining is going to charge at least $2,500.00 flat fee for all work done pre-trial and than $1,000.00 a day on trial if a trial is needed.

The cost may depend on the complexity of the case. However, in most situations, retainers start at $1500. A theft offense can be very serious. A conviction would leave an indelible mark on your record and it can impact future employment and other opportunities. As a result, an aggressive defense is necessary. As a misdemeanor offense, a theft under $500 is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1000 fine. Often. if you have a clean record and/or viable defenses, you may be able to avoid a conviction with a Stay of Prosecution which, upon completion of certain conditions, may result in a dismissal of the charge.

You can find attorneys for a wide range of prices. The saying "you get what you pay for" often holds true with attorneys. You can pay lots of attorneys $500 to handle your case, but they aren't going to spend very much time on your case or get you a very good result. The cost of handling your case will general depend further on what your defenses are, whether there are any pretrial motions to suppress evidence or to dismiss that may be required to be filed, whether you will be taking the case to trial, and other factors. I would recommend contacting an attorney to discuss your case. Many attorneys will provide you with a free consultation regarding the case, and then you can decide whether or not to go forward with hiring them.

We recommend you check around and ask family and friends for help and recommendations. Costs vary from place to place and depends on other factors, such as experience. You will have to decide whether or not a public defender or retained counsel is best for you. Some public defenders are very good, but they often carry very heavy caseloads. Good luck.

That all depends on the quality and experience of the attorney. A brand new lawyer, straight out of law school should be charging much less than an attorney who has been practicing for several years. Also, a lot will depend on the county/city that your case is in. Attorneys in bigger cities tend to charge more than your small town lawyer. The best thing to do is to call around and go in for a free consultation with a few different lawyers. You will be able to get a quote on their fees and will help you get a better feel on who you should hire. Regarding whether they are better than a public defender, again that all depends on the experience, etc. I have found that the main significant advantage of a private attorney over a public defender is that the public defender is usually overworked and does not have the time to dedicate to individual cases like a private attorney would. You also have to qualify for a public defender by being indigent. If you are not indigent, you will be required to hire a private lawyer. Good luck in your search and with your case.

It depends on several factors including level of offense & location. Most attorneys charge at least $750 for misdemeanors, up to $2000 or more for gross misdemeanors and felonies. A public defender may be able to do a satisfactory job but that depends on the specific attorney, just as it does with private attorneys.