If you have been accused of a crime and you need legal help you need to hire a criminal attorney as soon as possible. The sooner you have a lawyer on the case the sooner you will know your rights, you will be able to devise a defense plan, and you will also have the support that you need. When you don’t have a lawyer you can actually get yourself into more trouble by making less than self protective statements.
When you hire a lawyer you will find that they need money up front to get started. This can be a little disconcerting when you are in a legal bind and you just need help, but you need to remember that the lawyer is not only the help that you need, but they also are running a business. The money that they ask for is for their services. You can shop around a bit and see where you can get the best rates. Most lawyers will allow you to make payments as you go, making your defense affordable.
Criminal lawyers will usually expect a fee upfront. This fee is usually called a retainer and it is the amount of money that they need to get started on the case. This fee can range from as little as a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand. This will need to be paid to get the lawyer on the job, finding out what the evidence is and from where the charges originated, if you don’t already know. Many people think that the retainer is all they will have to pay the lawyer, but generally this is not true, it is just a start up fee and it often goes quite quickly as new cases require a lot of work.
When your criminal defense lawyer comes on the case they will usually instruct you not to make any statements to law enforcement without them present. They will usually meet with you either in their office, or in the jail if you are in custody. Together you will create a defense plan based on what you have to say, your knowledge of the facts, and the lawyer’s knowledge of the law and how it can be used against you by the prosecution.
Hiring a criminal lawyer is an important part of defending yourself when you have been accused of a crime. Without a lawyer you could be doing yourself a great disservice, even if you know that you are not guilty of the crime you are accused of. Be sure to meet with a lawyer to discuss your options, as it will likely be the best money that you have ever spent.
By: Caitlina Fuller
Posts Tagged ‘Retainer’
What to Expect When You Hire a Criminal Attorney
December 19th, 2009What Criminal Attorneys Charge Is A Crime
December 10th, 2009
If you’ve been falsely accused of a crime, it’s likely you don’t think any price is too high to pay for your freedom. But, when money does matter, it’s important not to sacrifice the quality of your criminal attorney just to meet a budget.
If you are truly innocent, it’s very likely a good criminal attorney can get you off. Going for a discount rate wouldn’t be wise, but there are ways to keep costs at a minimum or even recoup them after a win in court. As long as you insist on finding a criminal attorney that displays some basic, but very important, traits, you should be okay with your hire even if his or her rates are less than others.
Should money be an issue in hiring a criminal attorney, consider these things:
* Stay clear of the ‘best of the best’ if you can’t afford them. Instead, settle for a criminal attorney that displays the traits of a good criminal defense lawyer. This means someone with years of experience in the law, a person who has perhaps also been a prosecutor and maybe even someone with a minimal (but existent) track record in trial courts. Newer criminal attorneys are likely to cost less, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be awful. Trial experience and former prosecution work are vital traits in that they ensure the criminal attorney you’re thinking of hiring knows his or her way around a criminal case.
* Consider going with the attorney provided you by the courts if: that attorney has a good track record, shows a genuine concern about you and your case, really seems to believe your side of the story. If these three things are not present, you might want to try and hire a criminal attorney on your own if it’s at all possible. Public defenders can be fantastic lawyers, but that doesn’t mean all of them are – just like private criminal attorneys.
* Find a lawyer with a good background who is willing to wait on payments until the case’s outcome is decided or is at least willing to work with you. Some lawyers will work on a retainer that’s fair and wait to recover costs for false arrest at a later date.
* Plan to recover costs if you clearly are not guilty of the crime you’ve been accused of.
As you look for a criminal lawyer, remember there are certain traits to look for. You want a criminal lawyer who:
* Has experience in the field.
* Understands how the prosecution works.
* Is versed in trial law, as well.
* Is open with the lines of communication and clearly listens to you and your input on the case.
* Treats you like a person and not a ‘criminal.’
* Keeps you apprised of the case as it progresses.
* Fights for your side without prejudice.
Finding a good criminal lawyer can be a costly venture, but there are ways to keep it more affordable without sacrificing quality. If you make sure experience and communication are present with your criminal lawyer, you should be okay even if you haven’t been able to hire the ‘best of the best.’
By: Tom Sample
What Criminal Attorney’s Charge Is A Crime
November 21st, 2009
If you’ve been falsely accused of a crime, it’s likely you don’t think any price is too high to pay for your freedom. But, when money does matter, it’s important not to sacrifice the quality of your criminal attorney just to meet a budget.
If you are truly innocent, it’s very likely a good criminal attorney can get you off. Going for a discount rate wouldn’t be wise, but there are ways to keep costs at a minimum or even recoup them after a win in court. As long as you insist on finding a criminal attorney that displays some basic, but very important, traits, you should be okay with your hire even if his or her rates are less than others.
Should money be an issue in hiring a criminal attorney, consider these things:
Stay clear of the ‘best of the best’ if you can’t afford them. Instead, settle for a criminal attorney that displays the traits of a good criminal defense lawyer. This means someone with years of experience in the law, a person who has perhaps also been a prosecutor and maybe even someone with a minimal (but existent) track record in trial courts. Newer criminal attorneys are likely to cost less, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be awful. Trial experience and former prosecution work are vital traits in that they ensure the criminal attorney you’re thinking of hiring knows his or her way around a criminal case. Consider going with the attorney provided you by the courts if: that attorney has a good track record, shows a genuine concern about you and your case, really seems to believe your side of the story. If these three things are not present, you might want to try and hire a criminal attorney on your own if it’s at all possible. Public defenders can be fantastic lawyers, but that doesn’t mean all of them are – just like private criminal attorneys. Find a lawyer with a good background who is willing to wait on payments until the case’s outcome is decided or is at least willing to work with you. Some lawyers will work on a retainer that’s fair and wait to recover costs for false arrest at a later date. Plan to recover costs if you clearly are not guilty of the crime you’ve been accused of.
As you look for a criminal lawyer, remember there are certain traits to look for. You want a criminal lawyer who:
Has experience in the field. Understands how the prosecution works. Is versed in trial law, as well. Is open with the lines of communication and clearly listens to you and your input on the case. Treats you like a person and not a ‘criminal.’ Keeps you apprised of the case as it progresses. Fights for your side without prejudice.
Finding a good criminal lawyer can be a costly venture, but there are ways to keep it more affordable without sacrificing quality. If you make sure experience and communication are present with your criminal lawyer, you should be okay even if you haven’t been able to hire the ‘best of the best.’
By: Tom Sample