From the roadside stop and the ten-day hearing notice through discovery, plea talks, and the sentence a judge finally signs
Two attorneys quote a flat fee for the same King County gross misdemeanor, and the numbers are far apart. That gap almost never means one is overcharging and the other is a bargain. It usually means the two quotes end at different points in the case, count different tasks as included, and treat the Department of Licensing hearing as either part of the representation or a separate engagement. The careful reader does not compare the numbers. The careful reader compares the scopes, and then compares the numbers.
1. Ask where the fee stops, by name
A fee that covers a case "through resolution" can mean arraignment through a negotiated plea, and nothing else. Ask which specific stages are inside the number: arraignment, discovery review, pretrial hearings, the motion to suppress, the readiness hearing, jury trial, sentencing. Ask whether a continuance chain that adds four months of pretrial dates changes anything. Many quotes are honest and complete through motions, and then price trial separately, which is defensible so long as it is stated on paper before any money moves. Get the stage list in the fee agreement itself, not in an email.
2. Ask which events reprice the case
Certain things predictably trigger a second invoice, and the useful question is not whether they exist but which ones the attorney has flagged. Common repricers include a jury demand, a suppression hearing that requires subpoenaing the breath test technician, a deferred prosecution petition, a probation violation months after sentencing, an amended or refiled charge, and an appeal to superior court. The Department of Licensing hearing is its own administrative proceeding with its own deadline, and it is frequently quoted apart from the criminal defense. If it is included, confirm that the hearing request fee and the written argument are both inside the number.
3. Ask what counts as a cost rather than a fee
Fees pay the attorney. Costs pay everyone else, and they pass through at whatever they actually run. Expect to see line items for an independent expert to review the breath test instrument's calibration and maintenance records, an investigator to locate and interview a passenger or bartender, transcripts of a hearing, an interpreter for a witness, and reproduction of dash and body camera video. A flat fee almost never absorbs these. Ask for a written estimate of the likely range in a case with these facts, and ask whether the attorney seeks approval before incurring anything above a stated threshold.
4. Ask how public defense screening actually works
Eligibility for appointed counsel is decided by the court, on a financial screening, not by any private attorney. The screening looks at income, household size, dependents, liquid assets, and debts, and courts in Washington can appoint counsel outright or appoint with a contribution order requiring partial repayment. Owning a car or having a job does not automatically disqualify anyone. A defendant who is close to the line should complete the screening before signing a private fee agreement, because a public defender carrying a heavy caseload is still a licensed attorney with full access to discovery, motions practice, and trial.
5. Ask what arrives after a conviction, which no quote includes
The defense fee is the front half of the money. Behind it sit the statutory fine and mandatory assessments, the alcohol and drug evaluation and whatever treatment or the alcohol information school it recommends, probation supervision fees, an ignition interlock device with installation, monthly leasing, and calibration visits, the license reissue fee, and high risk insurance certification that can hold an elevated premium for years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration oversees the federal side of impaired driving programs, including interlock policy, and the state administers the rest. A quote that names these openly is describing the real decision.
What the comparison looks like once the answers are in
Line the two engagements up stage by stage and the cheaper quote often turns out to end at the plea, with trial, the licensing hearing, and expert review all priced separately, while the higher quote carries the case further before repricing. Sometimes the reverse is true. Either arrangement can be the right one, depending on whether the facts point toward a negotiated resolution or a contested hearing. What matters is that the comparison is between two known scopes rather than two numbers.
Ask for the fee agreement before deciding, read the paragraph on withdrawal and refunds, and confirm who handles the DOL deadline that runs on its own clock regardless of what the criminal court does.