When To Hire A Lawyer
For many types of traffic, criminal and civil cases
, there's no question that you need a lawyer to present your side of the evidence, no matter what the cost.
There are cases however when procuring the services of an attorney is absolutely unnecessary and hiring them would just be like throwing money to the wind.
In most states, an individual can do many of the things an attorney could do, without necessarily taking the role of cross examining witnesses or presenting evidence.
For example, if you are charged with a traffic offense, there is generally little purpose in hiring an attorney, since their fees may equal or exceed the cost of the ticket. If it's a serious infraction however and witnesses need to be presented, then by all means hire a lawyer at once. Otherwise, it might be better for you to just pay the fine immediately and then just charge it to experience.
In many minor civil cases where it's often only a battle of "he said, she said", lawyer fees just continue to roll by the hour regardless of whether you win or lose and often without even the need for any serious litigation. Even in "real" life, court appearances seem to parody the "Judge Judy" show where after the two parties have presented their respective sides a judge, or in some cases a magistrate, will rule oftentimes in favor of the more logical party.
If you have access to a computer in order to download some public documents and you're not averse to doing some research, you may even handle the more significant civil cases without the need for an attorney. For instance, there are many areas where you can personally handle an uncontested divorce case without the need for legal representation. You just need to accomplish some forms which can be acquired either from the concerned government office or downloaded from the internet. While you are in the respective government offices mentioned, why not ask around for the procedure in filing the documents and the corresponding fees at the same time? In some areas, a paralegal may also be able to assist you with this type of paperwork at a fraction of the cost.
If you are facing a civil case where you stand to lose a significant amount of money, or a criminal case that could lead to imprisonment, you're better off hiring a professional to handle all the motions, paperwork and court appearances. On-line resources can provide you with listings of attorneys who handle the type of case you are involved in and you may also be able to research news articles to see what type of success they have had. Additionally, you can also ask for referral from some friends who may have actually gone through a similar case as yours before, such as for example bankruptcy, about a good lawyer that they may recommend for you.
For criminal cases, a court-appointed attorney will be provided to you should you have no means of hiring one on your own. In such instances, no upfront money would be required from you but you will have to thoroughly convince the authorities of your financial incapacity. Be informed also that in some states court-appointed lawyers do not work as public defenders strictly speaking because you do have to pay them in the event that you are found guilty of the charges. So if you're actually guilty and you feel like your chances of being acquitted are slim, then it might be better for you not to prolong the process any longer and enter a plea on your own.
by: Charlie Smith..
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