Hiring a DUI Lawyer in Colorado
What a first DUI can cost in Colorado, 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 Colorado: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Colorado's former contingent fee rules (C.R.C.P. Chapter 23.3) were repealed and reenacted in Colo. RPC 1.5(c), effective January 1, 2021. The terms of a contingent fee agreement must be communicated in writing before or within a reasonable time after the representation begins and must include, among other things: the names of lawyer and client; the claim and each event that triggers the lawyer's right to be paid; how the fee is figured, including the percentage or amounts on settlement, trial, appeal or other final disposition and whether it is computed before or after deducting costs and other amounts owed; what the lawyer may be paid if the representation ends early; an estimate of expenses, whether the lawyer may advance them and the client's obligation to pay expenses if there is no recovery; the possibility of court-awarded costs or fees against or in favor of the client; and the client's rights if the lawyer brings in associated counsel. Colorado's Rule 1.5(d) prohibits domestic relations fees contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of alimony, support or property settlement, and contingent fees for representing a criminal defendant. Repeal of C.R.C.P. 23.3: https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Rule_Change_2020-31.pdf |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Colorado Bar Association's Legal Fee Arbitration Committee provides a service to help lawyers and clients resolve fee disputes, as referenced by the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel. Colorado Bar Association committee: http://www.cobar.org/For-Members/Committees/Legal-Fee-Arbitration-Committee |
| If a lawyer takes your money | Colorado's Attorneys' Fund for Client Protection may compensate clients who lost money or property because a Colorado-licensed attorney, acting as their lawyer or court-appointed fiduciary, received and converted it. Fee disputes, poor investments and malpractice are not covered. The limit is $50,000 per claim, with an aggregate maximum of $100,000 for all claims against a single attorney; no interest is paid. Claims must be filed within three years of when you knew or should have known of the dishonest conduct. There is no filing fee; the claim form must be signed and notarized. Fund page: https://www.coloradolegalregulation.com/complaints/cpf/ |
Colorado rules to know first
| First-offense DUI penalties | A first DUI or DUI per se is a misdemeanor punishable by 5 days to 1 year in jail and a $600 to $1,000 fine, plus 48 to 96 hours of public service; part of the jail term can be suspended with alcohol treatment. A first DWAI carries 2 to 180 days in jail, a $200 to $500 fine and 24 to 48 hours of public service. Administratively, a BAC of 0.08 or more brings a 9-month revocation for a first offense; early reinstatement with an ignition interlock is available for offenses on or after January 1, 2023. |
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| Refusing a breath test | Drivers are presumed to consent to a blood, breath, saliva or urine test when an officer has probable cause of DUI or DWAI. Refusal leads to revocation of 1 year (first), 2 years (second), or 3 years (third), and the driver is designated a persistent drunk driver. Early reinstatement with an interlock requires serving at least 2 months first, and the interlock must stay for at least 2 years. A hearing must be requested within 7 calendar days of arrest. |
| Hardship license | A driver suspended for points may get a probationary license that strictly limits driving to and from work; it requires a letter from the employer, SR-22 insurance and a $6 fee, and is taken immediately if the driver is stopped outside its limits. Drivers revoked for alcohol offenses may apply for early reinstatement with an interlock-restricted license. A 90-day work-purpose probationary license may be available in child-support suspensions. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Colorado Bar Association does not give legal advice or run a referral line; it offers a Find a Lawyer directory of member attorneys searchable by legal matter, location or name, with a filter for attorneys accepting "alternative fee arrangements" for people with moderate incomes. CBA offices: 303-860-1115, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Contact page: https://www.cobar.org/contact |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, an independent office of the Colorado Supreme Court, runs the Attorney / LLP Search & Disciplinary History tool. Search by registration number or by first and last name to see a lawyer's (or licensed legal paraprofessional's) status and disciplinary history; a lawyer must have "active" status and be in good standing to practice in Colorado. Copies of Presiding Disciplinary Judge decisions and orders are linked as a courtesy. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints (requests for investigation) about Colorado lawyers go to the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel's central intake division, by phone at (303) 457-5800 or toll-free (877) 888-1370, or through its online complaint form. Unsolicited emails and anonymous complaints are not accepted. An intake attorney or investigator contacts you, on average within 7 to 14 days. Have ready your contact details, the lawyer's name and registration number, relevant dates, and any court case numbers. Disciplinary history appears in the office's attorney search. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Colorado Legal Services, the LSC-funded legal aid program for Colorado, gives free civil legal help to eligible low-income people in family, consumer/debt, housing, senior, government benefits, immigration and other civil matters (not every office handles every case type). Apply with the online intake form at coloradolegalservices.org or call your local office. The courts' local Self-Help Centers answer questions about court cases and forms. CBA page: https://www.cobar.org/For-the-Public/What-to-do-if-you-need-a-Lawyer |
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All legal help in Colorado · 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.