Hire a traffic ticket attorney or pay my ticket?

Sometimes I’m asked “does it cost more to hire a traffic ticket attorney than just paying the traffic ticket?” The answer, of course, is it just depends.

The first situation is a single ticket charge, like a speeding ticket, and the attorney is able to get the charge reduced to a non-moving violation. By the time you hire a traffic ticket attorney and pay the non-moving violation, it may cost more than if you just paid the ticket itself. But that’s really the answer for today.

The real question is how much will it cost you over the span of a year or two?

If you just pay your ticket, you are pleading guilty to the charge and it goes on your record. If your insurance rates go up from $25 to $50 a month because of that speeding ticket, a couple of years of that increase could be more than hiring an attorney.

The other option is to go to your court yourself to try to get the ticket reduced to a non-moving violation.

So you don’t always need an attorney, but I do always encourage you to not take those moving violations. 

Moving violations can really impact your record. It might not seem like a big deal today, but you might get a new position where driving is part of your duties, that ticket from two years ago can be problematic. I get those phone calls from clients and we try to see if it’s possible to reopen those cases. It’s a lot more complicated. So if you have a single moving violation, it might cost you a little bit more for the attorney than paying the ticket. However, I can tell you that for most people, the majority of the time it’s worth keeping that moving violation off your record. It gives you more options for future employment like ride sharing or delivery, and it saves you money on your insurance.

You ever have a question about a traffic ticket, a suspended license, or what I can provide, you can shoot me a text and I’m happy to lend you my thoughts with a free consultation.