An assault charge typically costs between $5,000 and $15,000 for a misdemeanor that resolves with a plea and probation, and can exceed $100,000 for a felony that goes to trial. Those figures cover direct costs: attorney fees, bail, fines, surcharges, restitution, and court-ordered programs. The lifetime cost runs higher once you factor in lost income, housing barriers, and the civil lawsuit the victim can still file even if the criminal case goes your way.
What follows breaks the number down so you can see where the money actually goes.
Attorney Fees
Legal representation is usually the single largest line item. A straightforward misdemeanor assault defense runs $2,500 to $8,000 on a flat fee. Felony cases are more expensive because they involve more investigation, motions, expert witnesses, and potential trial time; fees commonly run $10,000 to $30,000. Serious aggravated assault charges tried before a jury can push well past $50,000.
How the attorney bills matters almost as much as how much they charge. Flat fees make budgeting predictable. Hourly billing is more common in complex felony work, with rates typically $200 to $500 per hour and reaching $750 for highly experienced trial attorneys. Hourly work requires an upfront retainer, and felony retainers can range from $5,000 to well over $25,000.
Public defenders are available if you can’t afford private counsel, but “can’t afford” has a specific legal meaning. Courts look at your income, assets, and obligations before appointing one. If you qualify, the representation itself is free, though some jurisdictions charge an application fee or recoup costs after the case ends.
Bail and Pretrial Release
Bail for misdemeanor assault generally falls in the $500 to $10,000 range. Felony assault bail starts around $10,000 and can exceed $100,000 when the charge involves serious injury or a weapon. Judges set the amount based on the severity of the charge, your criminal history, and whether you’re considered a flight risk.
Most defendants can’t pay the full amount in cash. A bail bond company will post it for you in exchange for a non-refundable premium, typically 10% to 15% of the total bail. On a $25,000 bail that’s $2,500 to $3,750 you don’t get back, even if every charge is eventually dropped. Some states cap the premium by statute, but 10% to 15% is standard across most of the country.
Courts increasingly add release conditions that carry their own costs. GPS ankle monitoring is common in assault cases, especially domestic violence matters. Defendants pay a setup fee plus a daily charge, commonly $5 to $15 per day, which works out to $150 to $450 per month for as long as monitoring is required.
Fines and Court Surcharges
A conviction triggers a stack of financial penalties beyond the headline fine. Low-level misdemeanor assault fines may cap at $500 to $2,000, while more serious misdemeanors reach $4,000. Felony fines commonly reach $10,000, and some states authorize $30,000 or more for the most serious assault convictions.
On top of the fine, courts add surcharges that most defendants don’t see coming: a mandatory court surcharge, a crime victim assistance fee, and often a DNA databank fee. These add $100 to $400 or more per conviction depending on the jurisdiction. Some states also assess prosecution fees, clerk fees, and crime lab fees. The combined weight of these add-ons often rivals the fine itself.
Restitution to the Victim
If the victim suffered financial losses, the court will almost certainly order you to pay restitution. Federal law makes restitution mandatory for crimes of violence, and most states follow the same approach.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 U.S. Code 3663A – Mandatory Restitution to Victims of Certain Crimes It covers the victim’s actual out-of-pocket costs: medical bills, therapy, rehabilitation, lost wages, and related expenses like transportation to medical appointments or childcare during court proceedings. Pain and suffering is not eligible; that’s a civil matter.2U.S. Department of Justice. Restitution Process
The amount is based on the victim’s documented losses, and your ability to pay generally doesn’t reduce what the court orders. A single emergency room visit for a broken jaw can generate $10,000 to $30,000 in medical bills, and that entire amount becomes your responsibility. If the victim needed surgery, extended therapy, or missed significant time from work, restitution can dwarf every other cost in the case. Restitution orders are enforceable for 20 years and survive bankruptcy. You cannot discharge them.2U.S. Department of Justice. Restitution Process
Probation and Court-Ordered Programs
Most misdemeanor assault sentences include probation, which comes with monthly supervision fees for the duration. Fees range from as low as $10 per month to over $200, with $25 to $60 being common. A two-year term at $40 per month runs close to $1,000 just for supervision.
Anger management is almost standard in assault cases. Online programs can be found for as little as $65 for an eight-hour course, but in-person group sessions typically cost $20 to $50 per session, and courts often require 12 to 52 weeks of attendance. An initial assessment before the program starts adds $45 to $100. If the court also orders individual counseling or substance abuse treatment, therapist fees and program costs escalate quickly. Counselors often charge separately for court-related paperwork or testimony, sometimes $100 per hour or several hundred dollars per court appearance.
Missing a payment or skipping a session is a probation violation, which can put you back in front of the judge facing the original jail sentence that was suspended.
Civil Lawsuits Are a Separate Bill
A criminal case and a civil lawsuit are two different proceedings, and one doesn’t block the other. Even if the criminal charge is reduced or dismissed, the victim can still sue you for damages. The burden of proof in civil court is lower, so you can be acquitted and still lose a civil suit over the same incident.
Civil damages cover medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering, with that last category often producing the largest award. For particularly egregious conduct, the court may add punitive damages, which in some jurisdictions can reach two to three times the compensatory award.
The part that catches people off guard: your homeowners or renters insurance will not cover any of this. Standard liability policies exclude injuries caused by intentional acts, meaning no coverage for your legal defense and no coverage for any judgment entered against you. Every dollar comes out of your own pocket, and civil judgments in assault cases regularly reach six figures once medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering are combined.
The Costs That Keep Running After the Case Ends
The expenses that don’t appear on any court document are often the most expensive. An assault conviction, even a misdemeanor, shows up on background checks indefinitely in most states, and that record follows you into job interviews, apartment applications, and licensing decisions for years.
Jobs and Professional Licenses
Employers routinely run criminal background checks, and a violent offense is one of the hardest to explain away. Federal guidance lets employers weigh the nature of the offense, how much time has passed, and how the conviction relates to the job, but in practice many simply pass on applicants with assault records. Healthcare, education, childcare, law enforcement, and anything requiring a security clearance are especially difficult to enter. Federal law outright bars people convicted of certain serious crimes from working as airport security screeners or accessing secure airport areas.3U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Arrest and Conviction Records: Resources for Job Seekers
Professional licensing boards in most states can deny or revoke licenses for violent convictions. Nurses, teachers, real estate agents, counselors, and attorneys all face potential licensing consequences. Most boards apply a “substantially related” test, and assault generally meets it for any role involving direct contact with the public. Lost licensing means lost career, and that income gap compounds every year.
Housing
Landlords check criminal records as part of tenant screening, and there is no time limit on reporting criminal convictions.4Federal Trade Commission. Tenant Background Checks and Your Rights An assault conviction can lead to an outright denial, a higher security deposit, a co-signer requirement, or higher rent. In competitive rental markets, landlords with plenty of applicants rarely take a chance on someone with a violent offense on record.
Expungement Can Cap the Damage
Expungement or record sealing can remove or hide an assault conviction from most background checks, but availability is limited and the process has its own costs. Court filing fees for a petition generally run $100 to $400, and most people hire an attorney to handle it, adding $1,000 to $2,500 or more. Not every conviction qualifies. Felonies are frequently excluded, and many states impose waiting periods of several years after you complete your sentence before you can even apply. For those who qualify, expungement is one of the few ways to stop a conviction from continuing to drain your income and limit your housing options years after the case is closed.
What the Full Bill Looks Like
A misdemeanor assault that resolves with a plea deal, probation, and anger management can still cost $5,000 to $15,000 once you combine attorney fees, fines, surcharges, program costs, and supervision fees, and that’s before any restitution or civil exposure. A felony assault that goes to trial can exceed $100,000 in direct costs alone. Factor in reduced earning power, housing barriers, and potential civil judgments, and the true lifetime cost is almost always far higher than the number on the court’s sentence sheet.