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law

Getting Prepared if You are Named as a Defendant in a Criminal Case

If you have been charged with a crime and perhaps arrested, it can be emotionally overwhelming and demoralizing. Many people will become very emotional, not be able to focus and be filled with anger or despair. Although these feelings are understandable, you need to get past them as quickly as possible because there are things you need to do to help yourself get prepared for your defense. Here is a list of a few critical things you can do to prepare yourself:

Stay Calm

This seems counter-intuitive but it is of the utmost importance. Being calm allows you to make good decisions and think through what is important. Remember, your case is important to you and also to your family. They need you to be clearheaded and rational. So every time you feel yourself getting worked up and feeling unsafe during the process, take some deep breathes and commit to focusing on the best possible outcome for your case.

Hire the Best Attorney You can Afford

Although some will not admit it, the attorney you choose will make all the difference in the outcome of your case. The harsh reality is that there are some attorneys who know the law and other attorneys who understand how to win cases. Great attorneys like Toledo Ohio based Groth and Associates understand all of the elements needed to put up a vigorous defense and can utilize the elements of a case to get their clients the best possible outcome. Sometimes tat outcome is the client walking away free and other times it is getting the lightest possible sentence or probation.

Good attorneys are always honest and clear with their clients about the likely outcome of their case and they prepare the client and the case to getting this outcome as a minimum. Good attorneys typically cost more, but the added expense is well spent because their results are better.

Selecting a good attorney can be challenging but some ways to make sure that you are speaking with one is to research their past cases and see how they have performed. Attorneys today love to place their success stories on their website. Check in their client reviews section and read what others are saying about their performance. Also ask questions in your consultation about their approach to a case like yours, if they are familiar with the judge and what they think will likely be the outcome of your case and why.  Their responses will give you a great indication of who you are dealing with, their level of expertise, and how they think.

Make Note of All of the Details of Your Case

Any time there is a criminal case, the defendant immediately knows that it will be serious and could potentially mean jail time. But all of this will only be determined b the facts in the case and the facts will mostly need to backed up by evidence. Part of that evidence is the details that occurred relating to the potential crime. The more facts that are available, the clearer the picture that can be drawn so you need to put in writing at your first available opportunity exactly what happened and what you remember about the incident.  You should include every small and big detail including any names, locations, times, what was said and done before, during, and after the incident. You also need to notate the procedures and behavior of the police, any questions asked of you and your responses. Again, every detail is important and sometimes the smallest detail can make a big difference, so write everything down.

Your attorney will oversee all of the elements of your case and advise you every step of the way on the proper course of action. Follow instructions and good luck.

Examples of When You Need To Lawyer Up

Whether we care to admit it or not, there are many times in our lives when we will need to call on the support of a lawyer or legal professional. For this reason it really makes sense for you to spend some time trying to get a good lawyer into your contact book, so that when the time comes, you can be prepared. Ladah law firm in Vegas is a good reference point for me as they were the firm that I contacted 2 years ago after an incident. I never thought that I would see the day that I needed a lawyer, but alas, life caught me out. I wanted to give you just a few examples of times when you need a lawyer, to show you why it is important that you have one on speed dial.

Personal Injury

The incident that I have just referenced happened 2 years ago when I was working, and I slipped over because no wet floor sign had been placed after cleaning. I injured my back and my neck, and lost work and money as a result. Personal injuries that aren’t your fault can happen at any time, and in any place, and when they do, you will need to lawyer up in order to get some justice.

Divorce

Nobody enters into a marriage with the idea of divorcing, but the rates of divorce do paint a worrying picture of the amount of separations that there are. Once again, if you are married then you won’t be thinking of divorce, but then again, who does? Facts are facts and a lot of divorces take place, which could see you on the hunt for a divorce lawyer.

Workplace Dispute

Employment law is not always adhered to by companies and this can lead the workers to run into all manner of issues from contact disputes, bullying or wrongful dismissal. In such as situation you could very well find yourself in need of a great employment lawyer who will represent you and defend you against any wrongdoing on the part of your employer.

Federal Charge

Everyone can make a mistake and if yours is of the criminal variety then you are going to need to find a great lawyer who can represent you. This could be anything from an assault charge to a DUI situation, either way you will need professional representation.

Medical Malpractice

Another situation which could arise, although thankfully it is a rarity, is a medical malpractice situation. This term covers a wide variety of issues which happen whilst you or your family are in hospital, generally indicating poor care, failed operations or gross misconduct from medical professionals. In such a time like this you will most definitely require legal support, in order to raise the issue and bring about justice for what has happened.

As I mentioned at the top, hopefully you never need a lawyer, but it makes sense to have one on hand, just in case.

What Skills Do You Need to Become a Lawyer?

If you are currently deciding which is the best career choice for you, it is important that you weigh up all available options. The best way in which to work out which career fits best for you, is to think about what skills you have, and what your passion is. One of the most common careers which people will tell you from a young age that they would like to do, is that of a lawyer. It is easy to see why law is such a popular career choice, the upholding of justice, the search for innocence and guilt and the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives.

Becoming a lawyer is not easy however, and there are some core skills which you’ll need to possess. We spoke to the team at Dolan Law Firm, to find out exactly what skills are required to work in law.

Persuasive

In order to be a lawyer, in whatever branch of the law you decide upon, you must be a person who can be persuasive in their arguments. In order to do this you must have the skills which allow you to view all sides of the argument, and form a compelling case for each one. Whether you are arguing for or against something, you must be able to understand how people will argue against you, and how you can use that to persuade people that you are right.

Academic Ability

With the greatest will in the world, if you do not possess the academic ability to learn the volume of knowledge which is required to become a lawyer, it is unlikely that you will ever succeed. Lawyers must be sharp, studious and intelligent, just to study law in the first place, let alone actually practicing it. This is sometime that you can work on, but if you don’t possess natural academic ability, it will be tough for you to pursue this career path. Law schools will only accept students with excellent grades.

Analytical

Being a lawyer will require you to process huge amounts information and be able to pick out the key parts which are relevant to whichever case you are working on. In order to do this you must have an analytical approach which allows you to pore through such data, and be able to quickly point out relevancies.

Memory

Much of law calls on you to have a great memory, both for your current case, and past cases which can help you in your current case. Lawyers generally have excellent memories when it comes to cases past and present, as well as the requirement to remember the various aspects of the law. If you have a poor memory, this is not to say that you cannot do the job, but you will need to work hard on being able to remember a large amount of information if you wish to be successful.

How many of these skills do you possess?