Is It Worth Paying The Fees For A Criminal Lawyer When Facing Charges?
After you get arrested for criminal charges, there will be a process you must complete for the charges you are facing. This process will take place in court, and you will have the options of handling the charges on your own, asking for a public defender, or hiring a criminal defense lawyer. If you are wondering if hiring a lawyer is worth the amount it costs, here are some things you should know.
It Is Never Wise to Not Have a Lawyer
The first thing you might be thinking is that you could save a ton of money if you just represented yourself. However, how much do you know about the law? Do you understand the process, the terminology, and your rights? If you do not know the law well, you might not end up with great results from your case. It is never a smart move to handle a case without a lawyer.
You might assume, though, that you could just ask the court to appoint a public defender for you. After all, public defenders offer legal services for free. This is true; they do offer free legal services, but they only offer them to people who qualify. If you make too much money, you would not qualify to have one.
The Costs You Might Incur From Hiring a Lawyer
Before you think that hiring a lawyer is too expensive, you might want to actually find out the costs for a lawyer. Some lawyers charge flat fees for services. For example, if you need help with a DUI, you could call the law firm and they would tell you the flat fee for representing you in a DUI case. The benefit of flat-fee services is that you can predict exactly how much they will cost. The legal fees for a typical criminal case can be in the thousands of dollars, so this should give you a good idea as to how much you might have to pay if you hire your own lawyer.
Why the Costs Are Generally Worthwhile
Even if you think this sounds like a lot of money, just realize that you will have a better chance with your case if you hire a lawyer for help. If you are still unsure of how to face the charges you have against you, you could contact a criminal law firm just to talk to a lawyer about your situation. This could help you make a more informed decision about your case, and you will probably decide that hiring a criminal lawyer is worth the money it will cost.
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