It may seem to be an extreme amount to pay the attorney, but the value of time off and the value of not having a ticket when your insurance pulls your record and it's worth it.
Years ago, I had a mandatory court appearance, so paying the attorney $90 plus the ticket was a no brain option. Since I'd have to pay the fine anyway (I was WAAAY over the limit) it made sense to give the traffic attorney the money.
It was something like 30 days traffic probation, maybe 90, and if I was a good boy, nothing on my record.
Even had I had to take only a half day off work, I'd still lose more than the $90 in time off value.
Sometimes it's just worth it to pay the inside guy to get it done with little hassle.