The Barkemeyer Law Firm is a firm of DWI lawyers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We defend DWI and DUI charges and license suspensions in Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana. We provide our clients with excellent representation for the following types of DWI charges in Louisiana: multiple DWI, felony DWI, underage DWI, Hit and Run, Reckless Driving, out of state DUI, first time DUI, misdemeanor DWI, administrative hearings, driver’s license, and hardship licenses.
Our office is a staffed location where clients can schedule in-person consultations and case planning meetings. However, usually all matters pertaining to a case can be handled through email and over the phone, including the representation agreement and case planning and updates. Carl Barkemeyer and Brenda Verbois handle all matters in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Our office is located at:
Barkemeyer Law Firm – DWI Lawyers
8550 United Plaza Boulevard, Suite 702
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809
Our Baton Rouge office is located at 8550 United Plaza Boulevard, Suite 702, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, in the Two United Plaza building. For the quickest route, enter the full address into GPS exactly as written.
From I-10:
Take the Essen Lane exit (Exit 160). Head south on Essen Lane toward United Plaza Boulevard. Turn onto United Plaza Boulevard and continue to 8550 United Plaza Boulevard (Two United Plaza). Park in the visitor area and proceed to Suite 702.
From I-12:
Take I-12 to I-10 West, then exit at Essen Lane (Exit 160). Head south on Essen Lane toward United Plaza Boulevard. Turn onto United Plaza Boulevard and continue to 8550 United Plaza Boulevard.
Parking: We have a large parking lot available in the front of the building just as you turn off United Plaza Boulevard.
Building Entry: Enter through the main lobby and take the elevator to the 7th floor (Suite 702). If you need help finding the correct entrance, call our office and we’ll guide you in.
Come Prepared: If you come to a meeting at the office, bring all of the paperwork that the police officer gave you during the DWI arrest/summons, including appearance bond and official notice of withdrawal of driving privileges.
If you were recently arrested, you have 30 days from the date of arrest to request an Administrative Hearing to fight the proposed suspension of your driver’s license. We will do that for you and help guide you throughout the entire process. If you do not request the hearing in time, your license will be suspended immediately.
Barkemeyer Law Firm is a trusted criminal and DWI defense law firm with a location in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Take a look at our location on this page here and view our other locations here.
We have successfully helped clients facing a number of charges. You can look at some of our practice areas here and schedule your consultation today.
Contact the Baton Rouge DWI defense attorneys at Barkemeyer Law Firm
Hello, I’m Carl Barkemeyer, owner and manager of Barkemeyer Law Firm. I’ve outlined our representation process to help potential clients understand what to expect when working with us. I know hiring a lawyer can be a significant expense, especially after a DWI arrest, but our fees are an investment in securing the best possible outcome and maintaining clarity throughout the process. Without proper legal guidance, you might feel confused and frustrated, potentially jeopardizing your case. Avoid relying on internet advice, as much of it is inaccurate and repetitive.
Our firm focuses on representing clients charged with DWI in Baton Rouge. DWI cases involve both the criminal charge and important related issues such as driver’s-license suspensions, employment, insurance, and professional consequences.
When you contact us either through email or phone call, I will discuss your case over the phone to determine if we can assist you and to outline our fees. In today’s world, there’s no need for in-person consultations. If we decide to take your case, you’ll need to email us all relevant paperwork. We’ll then start the process of obtaining an extended temporary license for you. Post-arrest, you can legally drive for 30 days, but without requesting an Administrative Hearing, your license will be suspended. This hearing assesses whether the police officer followed proper procedures regarding the breathalyzer test or refusal, not whether you committed a DWI.
No. We have streamlined the process to hiring our firm since we operate a modern-functioning law practice. Our clients no longer have to come to our office to obtain our services as all paperwork can be done fast and easy through email. We offer phone and zoom conferences at any time to those interested in hiring us. In-person office meetings are available to our clients.
No, that will not help you. Let your DUI lawyer start helping now. That’s what we do.
The first court date is the Arraignment. You will just be notified of the charge and likely be advised by your attorney to enter a not guilty plea.
Yes. We regularly attend court for our clients in Baton Rouge court. This is a big benefit to our clients because they can go to work or school and let us handle court. If you live outside of Baton Rouge, this can be a big help. We can only go to court for you if your charge is a misdemeanor and the specific appearance doesn’t require your attendance.
Every case is different and therefore, requires a different fee. When you call our Baton Rouge office, we will give you a clear price for our services and explain exactly what the service will include. The fee will be a fee for the service as a whole. Depending on the case, we allow clients to break up the fee in payments if they need to. Typically, our fees for cases in Baton Rouge City Court, and other city courts range from $2500-4500. There are exceptions for some cases as we may require a smaller or larger fee. Our fees in the 19th Judicial District Court can be similar or higher if they are felony charges.
The Administrative Hearing is separate from the court date you may have received, which is for your Arraignment in criminal court. Some jurisdictions do not provide a court date at the time of arrest, instead sending it later. Don’t wait to hire a lawyer; delaying can result in an immediate license suspension. Depending on the jurisdiction and judge, we may handle the Arraignment for you without your presence, saving you from unnecessary attendance.
Either myself or my colleague, Brenda Verbois, will represent you in court. We work together to leverage our extensive experience in DWI cases, offering you the benefit of two lawyers’ insights without inflated fees. After the Arraignment, we’ll obtain the reports from the DA, examine the case for defenses, and negotiate with the prosecutor based on your case’s specifics. DWI cases can resolve in various ways, including guilty pleas, probation, or diversion programs.
Sometimes we can avoid the need for our client to go to court at all. It just depends on the judge and the specifics of the case. Nevertheless, we do all we can to keep our clients from having to go to court.
Diversion programs allow defendants to complete conditions for dismissal. However, they’re not guaranteed, even with a clean record. Each DA’s office has different criteria and considerations. Misleading information online suggests automatic eligibility, but entry into these programs requires negotiation by your lawyer and may not always be the best option based on your circumstances. Particularly in Baton Rouge, diversion is not automatic. The DA and Baton Rouge City Prosecutor examine the cases closely to determine if they will make that agreement. We will make that agreement with our clients if it is in their best interest.
Our representation concludes once both the criminal case and driver’s license case are resolved. If you’re eligible for expungement later on, our Baton Rouge DWI Lawyer can assist with that as well. Keep in mind, arrests and convictions are not automatic. Nothing just falls off your record after the case is concluded. The only way to remove an arrest or conviction is to file a Motion to Expunge. This motion requires filing fees to the court and they can take up to a year to go through. The process for filing expungements differs between Baton Rouge City Court and East Baton Rouge District Court.
I hope this overview helps you understand our process. My goal is to be transparent and thorough, just as I’d want from my lawyer if I were in your shoes.
Feel free to contact us at 225-964-6720 for further information or to discuss your case.
The attorney’s fees for DWI representation will usually be between $3,500-10,000, depending on the complexity of the case, the actual charges, as well as other factors. It all comes down to how much time our lawyers must spend to defend you as well as the expertise required. Mr. Barkemeyer has defended clients charged with DWI in Baton Rouge for almost 20 years. Therefore, he has developed his DWI expertise over thousands of hours of DWI experience. He is then able to make decisions about DWI cases relatively quickly compared to a lawyer unfamiliar with DWI. When you hire us for your DWI in Baton Rouge, you are hiring us for our knowledge and experience, not so we can learn DWI law.
Call us at 225-964-6720 or email us here and we will give you our fee over the phone. You do NOT have to come into the office. We also offer Zoom conferencing if you prefer video. There is no need to burn up your afternoon going from lawyer office to lawyer office. If you check out our website and videos, you will get to know Mr. Barkemeyer well very quickly.
Yes. Our attorney fees for DUI defense are always flat fees. That means we will establish a fee for the entire case. Therefore, as the client, you will know exactly what to expect with no surprise invoices down the road like many lawyers do. The reason we offer flat fees is because we are a criminal defense law firm; therefore, we know what a case will require. We have defended thousands of clients. We have seen it all.
We offer payment plans if you need to break up the fee.
An example of a flat fee would be $4000 for the representation of your DWI in criminal court as well as the Administrative Hearing regarding your driver’s license. We will defend you all the way until the case is resolved whether it is a diversion program, dismissal, 894 plea, conviction, etc. If you desire trial, we may have an additional stated fee for that. We will set that fee up front specifically so you will know how to best weigh your options. Transparency is the key. Our clients have always appreciated the flat fee because the can budget for it easily and they can trust Mr. Barkemeyer and our DWI lawyers.
Apart from attorney’s fees are possible fees to hire expert witnesses and conduct extensive investigation if you desired a DWI trial. Depending on your case, you may decide you want to hire an expert witness to testify regarding an issue in the DWI. This witness could cost thousands of dollars. The cost of that witness would not come out of the attorney’s fee. That is separate.
In some situations, we can offer payment plans which would require half of the fee up front. We would then agree that you would make monthly payments for the balance. We offer every conceivable form of payment you can think of including cash, credit/debit card, PayPal, money orders, cashier’s check, apps, etc. You do not have to come into the office to hire our DWI lawyers. We can email the fee agreement to you with the ways to make the payment electronically, if you prefer. We are a technologically progressive law firm. Therefore, we do all we can to run efficiently and make our client’s lives easier and save them time and money.
-A DUI is committed when a person operates a vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol, drugs, or both.
-The BAC threshold for underage DUI is 0.02. An underage driver who records more than 0.08 may be charged with DWI, which carries severe penalties.
-First and second offense DWI charges are typically misdemeanors. Penalties may include jail time, probation, community service, and participation in substance abuse programs.
-Third and subsequent DWI offenses are typically felonies. A third offense can carry up to 5 years in jail, and a fourth offense can carry 10 to 30 years.
-Individuals convicted of DWI will likely face a driver’s license suspension. Eligible drivers may apply for a hardship license.
-If you refuse a breath test, you could lose your license for up to 12 months. If you take the test and your BAC is 0.149 or below, the suspension may be as little as 6 months. A first DWI conviction can also result in a 12-month suspension in some situations.
-In Baton Rouge, you have 30 days from the date of arrest for a DWI lawyer to request an administrative hearing to challenge the suspension and seek to preserve driving privileges.
-A DWI conviction can affect many parts of your life, including your insurance rates, criminal record, employment, and school enrollment.
Mr. Barkemeyer also represents DWI clients that aren’t from Baton Rouge, but have DWI charges in Baton Rouge. If you live outside of Louisiana, it may be a scary and daunting task to have to hire a DWI lawyer in Baton Rouge. You may have apprehension and wonder if the lawyer you hire really is the best DWI defense attorney for your case.
We have successfully defended hundreds of clients that live outside of Louisiana. When you call, you will speak directly to Mr. Barkemeyer. You will always be able to keep up great communication with him through phone and email. You do not even have to come to Baton Rouge to hire him. His DUI defense firm is set up to take you on as a client without you having to drive all the way here just to talk. This is usually a huge relief to our clients.
Depending on the judge, he may be able to handle the case so that the client never even has to come to court. Obtaining his legal services does not require that you travel to Baton Rouge. He remains just as accessible to his out-of-state clients as his local clients. Communication is the most important aspect of an attorney-client relationship. The Barkemeyer Law Firm maintains full communication with his out-of-state clients and/or their families. Our Baton Rouge DWI defense lawyers have handled your type of case before. We will protect you regardless of where you live. See our reviews online from many clients that lived out of state and were extremely happy they hired our Baton Rouge lawyers.
We defend clients who were arrested in all areas and neighborhoods of Baton Rouge. Whether you live in, or were arrested in a specific neighborhood, we can help. See below for your specific neighborhood.
The Barkemeyer Law Firm is very experienced and has the well-trained DWI attorneys with a proven record of assisting DWI clients to get back their licenses and protect their criminal record. Also, by applying our science-based knowledge to your case, we can be able to detect loopholes and faults in your tests which can help to free of any wrong charges. Contact us today at (225) 964-6720 to get a consultation and you have nothing to worry about with regards to our fees as they are highly affordable regardless of where you reside in Louisiana or outside of the state.
This office commonly assists clients with DWI charges arising in the Greater Baton Rouge area, including:
Barkemeyer Law Firm’s Baton Rouge office is a staffed location overseen by Carl Barkemeyer and Brenda Verbois, where clients can schedule in-person consultations and case planning meetings. From this office, our team helps clients across the Baton Rouge area and surrounding parishes with DWI defense, including early evidence review, document collection, and strategy development for court proceedings and administrative driver’s license deadlines. Whether your case involves breath testing, blood testing, or a refusal allegation, our Baton Rouge office provides a reliable point of contact and an organized process for moving your defense forward.
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Louisiana DWI lawyers at the Barkemeyer Law Firm providing legal defense services for clients in ALL of Louisiana.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is not formal legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.
Barkemeyer Law Firm has multiple locations in Louisiana. Click Office Locations to find out which office is right for you. Regardless of where the charge is in Louisiana, we can represent you there.