Hiring a DUI Lawyer in Alaska
What a first DUI can cost in Alaska, how criminal lawyers charge, your right to a public defender, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Alaska: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Contingent fees are allowed except where Rule 1.5(d) or other law prohibits them. A fee agreement that is wholly or partly contingent must be in writing and state the method for figuring the fee, including the percentage(s) to the lawyer on settlement, trial or appeal, the litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery, and whether expenses come out before or after the fee is calculated. Alaska adds that the written agreement must include the Rule 1.4(c) malpractice-insurance disclosure (required if the lawyer lacks coverage of at least $100,000 per claim and $300,000 aggregate) and state any costs, fees or expenses the client may owe the lawyer or the opposing party. At the end, the lawyer must give a written statement of the outcome and the client's share. Contingent fees are banned for criminal defendants and for domestic relations fees contingent on securing a divorce or on establishing or modifying alimony, support or a property settlement. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Alaska Bar runs a fee arbitration program for disputes with a lawyer licensed in Alaska or over legal services in a matter conducted in Alaska. You must first try to resolve the dispute with the lawyer; it is not available when the fee was set by a court decision, statute or court rule. After the petition (mailed with an original signature) is filed, the lawyer gets a 10-day grace period to resolve it. Disputes of $5,000 or less are heard by one committee member; larger ones by a three-member panel including a non-lawyer. The decision is final and binding, and the hearing may proceed if a party fails to appear. If you hired the lawyer more than 3 years ago, you must explain the delay. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Alaska Bar's Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection, administered by the Board of Governors, can compensate people who lost money, property or other things of value because of a lawyer's dishonest conduct, if the loss is not covered by insurance or a bond and meets Alaska Bar Rule 45. The LFCP Committee investigates and the Board decides; compensation is in the Board's sole discretion. |
Alaska rules to know first
| First-offense DUI penalties | A first DUI is a class A misdemeanor carrying 10 points. After arrest with a breath result of 0.08% or more, the DMV revokes the license administratively for 90 days, separately from the court case. After a DUI or refusal conviction, an ignition interlock device is required for at least 6 months. The DMV's list of typical first-DUI consequences includes 3 days in jail, $1,500 in court fines, 30-day loss of the vehicle, and SR-22 insurance. The jail and fine figures come from the DMV's consequences list; the statutory minimum sentence was not read directly from the statute. |
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| Refusing a breath test | Driving in Alaska means consenting to a breath test after a lawful DUI arrest. Refusal is a separate criminal offense (misdemeanor or felony depending on priors) and leads to DMV administrative revocation: 90 days for a first offense, 1 year with one prior DUI/refusal, 3 years with two, and 5 years with three or more. No limited license is issued after a refusal. A hearing must be requested in writing within 7 days of the notice. |
| Hardship license | No limited 'work purpose' license is available for a points suspension or a refusal revocation. After a misdemeanor DUI, a limited license may be available after the first 30 days (first offense) or 90 days (later offenses), with an ignition interlock in every vehicle driven, SR-22 insurance and a $100 application fee. A felony-DUI limited license requires participation in or completion of a Wellness/Therapeutic Court. A limited license for work or medical care may be available after a mandatory-insurance suspension if there was no such suspension in the previous 10 years. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Alaska Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service lists Alaska lawyers in good standing by practice area. A Lawyer Referral Service Assistant (not a lawyer, and unable to give legal advice) takes your name and a short description of the problem and gives you the names and phone numbers of up to three lawyers who handle that type of issue. Participating lawyers "will charge no more than $125 for the first half-hour of consultation"; later fees are agreed with the lawyer. The service does not rate lawyers and has no list of free or low-fee lawyers. Phone 907-272-0352, toll-free in Alaska 1-800-770-9999, email LRS@alaskabar.org; open 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00-4:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Alaska Bar Association (840 K Street, Suite 100, Anchorage) offers an online lawyer directory on its Member Directories page for searching Alaska Bar members. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Grievances about an Alaska lawyer go to the Alaska Bar Association. Review the bar's linked explanations first, then fill out the Attorney Grievance Form, print, sign and date it, and mail the original (no electronic, faxed or photocopied forms) to 840 K Street, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK 99501-3353, describing what the lawyer did or failed to do and attaching supporting documents. No filing fee is mentioned. Public discipline can be checked through the bar's Attorney Public Discipline Search; the bar also posts public notices regarding attorneys. Bar phone: 907-272-7469. Public discipline search: https://justiceweb.alaskabar.org/justiceweb |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Alaska Legal Services Corporation is the LSC-funded civil legal aid organization for Alaska and provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income Alaskans. The Alaska Court System's Self-Help Center offers free legal information and forms for people representing themselves. Court self-help: https://courts.alaska.gov/shc/index.htm |
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All legal help in Alaska · Do I need a lawyer?
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.