Blog

Why Does it Cost So Much Money to Go to Trial in the Orlando, Florida Area?

Trial in the Orlando, Florida area can be very costly. Why? There are several reasons. Here are a few of the most important ones to consider:

Hours Worked

First, you must pay your attorney’s fee for the hours you are in trial and pay the attorney to prepare for trial. So, if you are in trial one day for 8 hours, that can be anywhere from $2,400 to $4,000 a day depending on your attorney’s hourly rate. It could also be more or less than that, as lawyers’ hourly rates vary widely. Plus, besides the actual 8 hours in court, your attorney will probably work on the case after court at night and before court in the morning. You pay for that, too. 

Pretrial Preparation

Then, there is all the preparation the attorney must do prior to trial. You pay for your attorney to speak to your witnesses prior to trial. You pay for your attorney to meet with you and prepare you for trial. That alone can take several hours. You pay the attorney to prepare questions so that the attorney can ask those questions of the witnesses on cross examination. That preparation is used to discredit the witnesses that testify against you. 

You pay your attorney to prepare a Pretrial Statement that  is required by the court. It can take the attorney several hours to prepare that. You also pay the attorney to do case law research in order to preserve your rights and persuade the judge to rule in your favor in accordance with the case law. 

You pay your attorney to prepare all your evidence so that it can be admitted into evidence at trial. You prepare your attorney to compose questions for you and  your witnesses on direct examination in order to bring out the valuable information for your case. 

Getting Others Involved

If there are expert witnesses, you must pay for the hours that they are at court at the expert’s hourly rate. They will also charge you for their travel time and preparation for trial. Then, if you want a court reporter, you must pay for that. That cost can be around $90 for the first hour then around $45 to $60 for each additional hour thereafter. 

Paying Retainers

Now if your trial is multiple days, you rack up a large bill. Therefore, most attorneys will probably want a trial retainer to cover the days they will spend in your trial and for the trial preparation. An attorney may want several thousand dollars for a trial retainer. 

That is why trials can be so costly. You need to make sure what you are going to trial to obtain is worth more than you will pay your attorney. 

If you have more questions regarding a Marital and Family Law, Guardianship, or Probate Administration matter, you may call Ann Marie Giordano Gilden at Ann Marie Giordano Gilden, P.A. at 407-732-7620 and set an initial consultation. 

This article is for informational purposes only and does not form an attorney client privilege.