Legal
Books and taxes for DUI attorneys.
A criminal case fee and a separate DMV hearing fee on the same client, chemical test expert costs, license reinstatement fees passed through, and a caseload that turns over fast. Gus sorts it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
September came in at $13,500. Six new clients paid for both the criminal case and the DMV hearing this month, so I kept those two fees apart even though they came in together.
- Criminal case flat fee, OdomCriminal case fees
- DMV hearing fee, OdomDMV hearing fees
- Forensic toxicology expertChemical test expert fees
- State reinstatement fee pass-throughLicense reinstatement pass-through
- Local search adsMarketing
Why your books are different
DUI defense books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees one case, one fee. Your business is two proceedings running on two different clocks for the same client, a chemical test expert on nearly every file, and a caseload that turns over fast enough to need a steady stream of new clients every single month.
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1
One client, two fees on two different clocks
A DUI arrest usually triggers both a criminal case and a separate administrative license hearing with the state, often due within days, and if the fees for those two tracks are not kept apart, it is hard to tell what each part of the case actually brought in.
What we doBooks the criminal case fee and the DMV hearing fee as separate lines, so each track of the case shows its own real number. -
2
The DMV hearing runs on a much shorter fuse than the case
The administrative license hearing usually has to be requested within days of the arrest, so that fee and the work behind it often lands and closes out before the criminal case has even had its first court date.
What we doBooks DMV hearing income and criminal case income on their own timelines, so a fast-closing hearing does not get confused with the slower criminal matter. -
3
Chemical test experts show up on almost every file
A forensic toxicologist reviewing a breath or blood test is close to a standard cost on this kind of case, and if it is not tracked as its own recurring cost, it is easy to underprice a flat fee that assumes the expense away.
What we doKeeps chemical test expert fees in their own line, so the firm can see this near-constant cost clearly when pricing the next flat fee. -
4
License reinstatement fees are not the firm's money
A client's state license reinstatement fee sometimes gets collected alongside the firm's own fee, and if it is not split out, it inflates what the firm looks like it earned on the case.
What we doBooks reinstatement fees as a pass-through, separate from the firm's own fee, so income reflects only what the firm actually kept. -
5
Fast case turnover needs steady new intake, not one big win
Unlike a practice built on a few large matters, this one runs on volume, so a slow month for new clients shows up in the books quickly, and it is easy to miss until a slow month is already underway.
What we doTracks new client volume against past months, so a dip in intake is visible early, not after a full quiet month has already happened.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a DUI defense practice.
Set up once for how the two tracks of a case get paid. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Criminal case feesFlat fees for defending the underlying criminal charge.
- DMV hearing feesFees for the separate administrative license suspension hearing.
- Ignition interlock consultationFees for advising clients on interlock device requirements, when charged separately.
- Consultation feesPaid initial meetings, when charged separately from the case fee.
Money out
- Chemical test expert feesForensic toxicologists reviewing breath or blood test results.
- License reinstatement pass-throughState fees collected from a client and paid on their behalf.
- Court and filing feesClerk fees for the criminal case.
- MarketingAdvertising and lead generation to keep steady new-client volume.
- Staff and paralegal wagesThe people who manage two case tracks per client.
- Malpractice insuranceAnnual or quarterly professional liability premiums.
What we watch for you
- New client volume
How many new cases came in this month, since this practice depends on steady intake more than any single large matter.
- Criminal to DMV fee ratio
Whether clients are paying for both tracks or just one, worth knowing for pricing and marketing.
- Chemical expert cost per case
What the near-constant toxicology expert cost is running, so flat fees stay priced right.
- The set-aside
What the firm will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already know.
Ask Gus
Things DUI attorneys ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
No, I keep those as two separate lines, since they are two different proceedings on two different timelines, even though the client paid for both at once.
No, that is a pass-through to the state. I keep it out of the firm's own income so the numbers reflect what the practice actually earned.
If you paid them $2,000 or more this year and they are not on your payroll, that is a 1099-NEC due January 31, and I have had them on the list all year.
The tax side
The tax side of a DUI defense practice.
Most of what goes wrong here is treating a pass-through fee like income, or losing track of which track of a case actually earned what.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- State reinstatement fees are never the firm's incomeA license reinstatement fee collected from a client and passed to the state is not revenue, and should never be counted as something the firm earned or owes tax on.
- A high-volume year can still hit the deduction ceilingMost owners can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit, but law counts as a specified service trade, so steady high-volume flat fee income can add up to push taxable income above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint, where the deduction begins to shrink.
- Contractor 1099s for toxicology expertsA forensic toxicologist, contract paralegal, or investigator paid $2,000 or more in 2026 and not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Estimated taxes follow new client volumeAn owner without steady payroll withholding typically owes estimated payments on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15, and a slow month for new arrests changes what is owed the following quarter.
Deductions DUI attorneys miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Bar dues and CLE
- Malpractice insurance
- Legal research subscriptions
- Chemical test expert fees on the firm's own dime
- Court and filing fees
- Mileage to DMV hearings and court
- E-filing and PACER fees
- Payment processing fees
- Office rent and utilities
- Advertising and lead generation
- Case management software
- Answering or intake service fees
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A DUI defense year, kept every month.
Arrests do not follow a season, and each case runs on two clocks at once. Gus keeps the set-aside steady either way. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for experts is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned around steady case volume.
- April
Filed, both tracks accounted for
Your return is filed and signed, with both criminal case fees and DMV hearing fees accounted for. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where the firm stands, how new client volume is trending, and whether the set-aside still fits.
- October
Before year end
A look at any equipment or software worth buying before December, and a check on marketing spend against new client volume.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for DUI attorneys. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions DUI attorneys ask first.
Why does Gus split the criminal fee and the DMV hearing fee if the client paid us once?
Because they are two separate proceedings on two different timelines. Splitting them shows what each track of the case actually brought in, which matters since the DMV hearing often closes out long before the criminal case does.
We collect a state reinstatement fee from clients to pass along. Does that count as income?
No. Gus books it as a pass-through to the state, separate from the firm's own fee, so your income reflects only what the firm actually earned.
Almost every case needs a toxicology expert. Can Gus track what that is costing us?
Yes. Chemical test expert fees stay in their own line, so you can see this near-constant cost clearly and price the next flat fee accordingly.
Our case volume depends on steady new clients every month, not one big case. Can Gus watch that?
Yes, new client volume is tracked month to month, so a dip in intake shows up early rather than after a slow month has already happened.
Our income can swing with arrest volume we cannot predict. Does that hurt our taxes?
No. The set-aside is built from what actually lands each month, so a slower month for new arrests does not leave the firm owing more than it planned for.
Can Gus show me whether clients are paying for just the criminal case or both tracks?
Yes. Criminal case fees and DMV hearing fees stay in separate lines, so you can see how often clients pay for one track versus both.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever