Hiring a DUI Lawyer in Wyoming
What a first DUI can cost in Wyoming, 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 Wyoming: fee rules
| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Wyoming State Bar offers fee arbitration for fee disputes over $500 (disputes of $500 or less are not eligible). Generally you must file within one year after the later of the end of the lawyer-client relationship or the final bill; if the lawyer sues over the fee, you have 30 days after service of the required notice. Complete the Petition for Fee Arbitration and upload copies of bills and supporting documents. The bar sends it to the attorney, who has 21 days to respond; the Fee Arbitration Committee chair tries informal resolution, and if that fails within 30 days a panel holds a hearing and issues a written decision. |
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| If a lawyer takes your money | The Wyoming State Bar's Client Protection Fund reimburses clients who lose money or property through a lawyer's dishonest conduct (such as theft, embezzlement or conversion, including failure to refund advance fees), or when a lawyer dies or becomes incapacitated while holding client money, within a lawyer-client relationship. It does not cover negligence, business or investment losses, interest, or losses covered by insurance or bonds; awards are discretionary. The maximum is $15,000 per claimant per calendar year. File within four years after you knew or should have known of the dishonest conduct, using the notarized Statement of Claim (fill out online, then print, sign and mail) with proof of loss; a lawyer is not required. Questions: (307) 432-2104. |
Wyoming rules to know first
| First-offense DUI penalties | A first DWUI is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine up to $750, or both, and the person must receive a substance use disorder assessment at or before sentencing. WYDOT suspends the license for 90 days (credited with any administrative per se suspension). With a BAC of 0.15 or more, an ignition interlock restricted license is required for six months. |
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| Refusing a breath test | Drivers arrested for DWUI are deemed to have consented to a blood, breath, or urine test. If a person refuses, no test is given unless serious bodily injury or death resulted or a search warrant is issued. A test result of 0.08 or more leads to a 90-day administrative per se suspension starting 30 days after the officer's notice, regardless of the outcome of the criminal case. The statute's former refusal-suspension provisions are marked repealed (2011); the guide lists refusal consequences only for commercial drivers (one-year or lifetime CDL disqualification). A current administrative penalty for refusal by a non-commercial driver was not confirmed. |
| Hardship license | A probationary driver license (limited driving privileges) may be requested during many suspensions, including moving-violation suspensions and a first DWUI with BAC under 0.15, by submitting a record review request ($15) and, if approved, paperwork with a $25 fee. Only one is allowed in five years, an SR-22 must be on file if required, and it is not available for a second or later DWUI, revocations, or insurance-related suspensions. During eligible DWUI suspensions, driving is allowed with an ignition interlock restricted license. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Wyoming State Bar runs a Lawyer Referral Service. Its Lawyer Referral Directory lists only attorneys who are part of the referral program and is searchable by practice area; you can also request a referral online. Wyoming State Bar phone: 307-632-9061. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Wyoming State Bar's Member Directory lets you search all lawyers licensed in Wyoming. It is separate from the bar's Lawyer Referral Directory, which lists only attorneys in the referral program. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Complaints about Wyoming lawyers go to the Wyoming State Bar's Office of Bar Counsel. Complete the Ethical Violations Complaint Form, sign and date it (complaints are sworn under penalty of perjury; anonymous complaints are not accepted), and mail the original with copies of supporting documents to Office of Bar Counsel, P.O. Box 109, Cheyenne, WY 82003-0109; questions (307) 432-2104. Bar Counsel looks at possible violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct, such as missed deadlines, abandoning a case or mishandling client funds, but not the quality of a lawyer's advice or strategy alone, fee disputes (handled by fee arbitration) or rudeness. The lawyer receives a copy of the complaint; the complaint and investigation stay confidential unless a Formal Charge is filed, and you are notified before that happens. |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Legal Aid of Wyoming provides free civil legal help to low-income individuals in Wyoming. Apply online or call 1-877-432-9955. LSC lists Legal Aid of Wyoming as its Wyoming grantee. LSC grantee list: https://www.lsc.gov/about-lsc/our-grantees |
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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.