When you’re dealing with legal matters, it can feel overwhelming. It can be tough to determine how to proceed and what the best course of action is for your specific case. Depending on the type of case, you might not need representation, such as small claims or a speeding infraction. However, there are some reasons why you should consider hiring legal counsel. Today, we’ll be starting our two-part look at some of the reasons you should hire a lawyer.
The Law is Intricate
Even if you’ve watched every season of Law and Order and read every John Grisham novel, you likely don’t have a full understanding of how the law works. Law school isn’t an overnight program. With years of studying and practicing both in school and after graduation, a lawyer will have the experience and knowledge necessary to help you get through the court system and all the intricacies that go along with it. Without a lawyer on your side, you could find yourself in more legal hot water than you started out in.
A Lawyer Can Save You Money
You might be thinking to yourself that you’ll end up saving money by forgoing the bills you’d have to pay for a lawyer’s services, but that isn’t the case. In fact, having a lawyer on your side can end up saving you money in civil suits, while they could save you from serving jail time in a criminal case. The money you might save by going without a lawyer just isn’t worth what losing your case could cost you.
Evidence
With experience in a variety of different cases, an attorney will have the knowledge of how to properly utilize evidence, highlighting the pieces that are the most important to your case. They will also have the background necessary to challenge pieces of evidence that have no bearing on the proceedings, something that you wouldn’t know if you attempted to represent yourself. Beyond pieces of evidence, an attorney will also know how to pick out contradictions in witness testimony.
Legal Procedures
There are many deadlines and documents required in any court case, which can stymie the layman. A lawyer will be able to help you fill out and file legal documents while following all other legal protocol. All it takes is filing one document late or incorrectly to entirely derail your case. This can delay the case or result in it being thrown out entirely. While that might sound okay, it will not be thrown out in your favor.
Networking
Over the course of their careers, attorneys will build an extended network of expert witnesses, private detectives, and other professionals who can be brought in to help their client’s case. A non-attorney wouldn’t have the connections to these types of people who would be able to assist with the discovery process, challenge evidence, or challenge the opposition’s testimony.
That brings us to the end of part one of our series looking at some of the reasons you need to hire a lawyer. If you’re unsure if your specific case requires the expertise of an attorney, contact a professional for a consultation. For criminal defense attorneys in Colorado Springs, call Murphy & Price LLP. We offer a full range of legal services, including criminal defense and military court-martial defense. Contact us today.
