North Carolina Criminal Law UpdatesIf you’re involved in legal trouble, it may be time to hire a lawyer. This article will break down the occasions for when you should hire a lawyer.
Being involved with legal trouble can often be a stressful, scary situation.
You may be afraid of losing money, property, or even going to jail. You may be wanting to fight against unfair trial, or stand up for yourself in a bad divorce.
It’s always a good idea to at least look into whether you need to hire a lawyer. There are times when your word is enough, and others when you do need professional help to back it up.
Here are five scenarios for when to pick up the phone and get a licensed lawyer on your side.
1. Handcuffs Are Involved
A good rule of thumb to follow is if you ever find yourself in handcuffs, it’s time to call and hire a lawyer.
This includes anything from a DUI and other drug-related offenses to white collar crime and domestic violence. There are many other ways to find yourself in the back of a cop car, but no matter the situation, it needs to be handled with professional help.
A lawyer can explain all the details of your case. They better relay information you may not understand, and can help you come up with the proper plan of action.
Your lawyer is your go-to person when considering how to challenge evidence, deciding how to plea, and trying to get a settlement or plea bargain.
All of these are delicate situations which will arise during your trial period. Better to have the right resources in place and make a strong case than not.
2. Someone Is Physically Harmed
Bodily injuries are to be taken seriously no matter how they occur.
Most people only associate this with car accident injuries, but other cases are valid as well. If you moved into a home or apartment with mold, call a lawyer. Same goes for if a child’s friend suffered an injury while playing under your supervision.
The best way to look at this decision is to not depend on your insurance. Be proactive about the situation at hand to best resolve the bodily pain you are feeling or have caused.
This assures victims get access to necessary treatment and offenders can begin to handle financial issues and other penalties.
3. The Case Involves Stealing
Larceny and fraud are serious offenses in the state of North Carolina, which require serious handling.
Larceny has different levels of classification. When the total of stolen items is less than $1,000, the charge can be considered a misdemeanor. However, this does not apply for burglaries, which are always an automatic felony.
Fraud tends to be a little more complicated, because there are some gray areas that can be left up to interpretation if you don’t hire a lawyer.
This is because to get a fraud charge, you have to prove the person in question knowingly lied about personal information. It also has to be proven the other party suffered some sort of loss as a result, usually financial.
Fraud comes in many forms.
It can be as simple as writing a bad check. Other times, it goes as far as bad business promotions offering a product without all the promised benefits.
Defending a fraud charge is a detailed, extensive process. If being tried for fraud, you have to prove a lack of knowledge, which is much easier said than done.
4. You Are Getting a Divorce
Your divorce situation may seem like a cordial parting at first, but be sure to hire a lawyer just in case.
Even if you are confident in an easy process, at least get one lawyer for both of you to share. This type of contract cuts costs and helps you and the other person mediate your terms.
The rare divorce cases in which no one hires a lawyer is when there is nothing on the line – no kids, wealth, or valuable property to fight for.
However, there is usually something you want to make sure you walk away with, beyond your personal freedom. To ensure you get what you think is rightfully yours, talk to a divorce lawyer.
Lawyers can help with understanding legal terms and conditions. They also help keep the process as seamless and fair as possible.
In fact, an investment in a lawyer can end up being an investment in keeping a good relationship with the other person after your divorce. They can prevent things from getting extra personal or outright nasty, which is valuable to anyone.
5. To Settle Traffic Disputes
This may seem like a minimal issue to hire a lawyer for, but it can often be the most annoying legal situation to deal with.
It is possible to fight most traffic tickets, including speeding or failure to make a full stop for a stopped bus. It sounds trivial to get professional help for, but remember, tickets add points to your license.
Some traffic penalties can lead straight to jail time or an automatically revoked license. These are much harder to fight, but sometimes you can negotiate a less serious penalty with the help of a lawyer.
However, save yourself and local lawyers time and only fight such offenses if you truly feel they were given unjustly.
Also keep in mind your conditions will likely include having to take a driving course. Many times, your car insurance payments will increase as well, but they can lower after a successful trial.
An attorney in this situation is more for advice than defense. They will go over your record and the charge at hand to best assess your available options, but you have to be the one to make a choice and take action.
Still, their counsel is valuable guidance to determine your next steps.
The First Step to Hire a Lawyer
When life hands us difficult situations, it can be hard to see clearly when deciding what to do.
Make your legal struggles much easier with professional help on your side. If you are dealing with any of the situations above, hire a lawyer.
The first step is contacting your local attorney.
Call us today for a free consultation to assess your legal options.