Legal Tips if You’re in Trouble With The Law

No one wants to be in trouble with the law. Finding yourself in trouble with the law can be a stressful experience. Whether you are facing criminal charges or dealing with a legal issue, it is important to understand your rights and take appropriate steps to protect yourself. These legal tips can help you to understand better what you need to do and how to protect your rights if you are ever in trouble with the law.

1. How Bonds Work

A bail bond, or surety bond is often a condition of release after an arrest. When you are arrested and charged, you may be presented with the option of “bail”. Securing release through a bail agent is typically the only option you have if you want to get out of jail. A bail bond is a financial guarantee that you will return to court on your hearing date.

Bail bonds play a critical role in the legal system. Bail is a financial arrangement that allows you after being accused of a crime to be released from custody before the trial. One of the most important legal tips you will come across states that you should do what you can to get out of jail. It can be very difficult to assist in your own defense if you are sitting in jail.

The court sets a specific amount of money that must be paid to secure the defendant’s release. The bail amount varies depending on the severity of the crime, your flight risk and community ties. The right to bail is protected by the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. The only time bail can be denied is in the case of capital crimes. Of course, the court can make it difficult to bail out of jail by setting the bail extraordinarily high.

A bail bond agent is usually used to arrange bail. You pay a percentage to the agent to “write the bond”. In most states, the cost is 10%-15% of what the bail has been set at. For example, if your bail is $10,000 you will need to pay the bail agent $1000-$1500. You do not get any money returned even if found innocent if you use a bail agent to post bail. There may be stipulations set by the bail agent that you must adhere to. For example, you may have to check in with the agent regularly, if you move you must notify the agent, if you change your phone number you will need to notify the agent.

2. What Kind of Defense Attorney Do I Need?

These tips would not be complete without reminding you how important it is to have experienced representation for your case. When you are charged with criminal offenses, the stakes are high, and your future is at risk. Whether you are guilty or innocent or this is your first offense, you need a lawyer. A lawyer will protect your rights and ensure that your case is given the attention that it deserves.

Criminal law attorneys, federal criminal defense lawyer, felony attorney, DUI lawyers, and other types of attorneys have developed special skill sets to represent their clients in court against specific charges. The determining factor of which attorney you should choose largely depends on what you are being charged with. For example, if you have been charged with a felony, you don’t want to hire an attorney that specializes in traffic laws. You need to hire an attorney that is experienced in defending felony charges.

You may find a great criminal law attorney, but if you are facing federal charges, you will need to find an attorney with experience in federal court. It is important that you ask the attorney that you are considering if they can defend you against the charges. In some cases, you may hear they can’t, but they may be able to refer you to a lawyer that can. The skill set must match the charges or you risk getting legal tips that are not as valuable as they could be.

The right attorney will provide you with legal tips to help get you the best possible outcome. They will have experience representing clients with similar charges and a successful record in defending their clients. When you meet with the attorney, it is permissible to ask them what their win record is like. It is also strongly suggested that you ask if they have any legal tips that you can use to prepare for the trial.

In some cases, like a DUI charge, the attorney may provide you with legal advice on how to take driver safety classes or to find substance abuse classes that may lighten the sentence if you are convicted. It is essential that you choose an attorney that is expert in your charges. You may have to shop around a bit to find the right attorney.

3. Non-Criminal Attorneys

Not every legal issue is a criminal charge. There are other issues that you may find lands you in court. Eviction, family law matters, personal injury cases, and other civil suits all require that you secure an attorney to help you get the best possible outcome. Many non-criminal lawyers can help you, but just like criminal lawyers, you will need to choose a lawyer specializing in the specific area of law causing your legal issue.

Getting valuable legal advice for your eviction proceeding will come from an eviction defense attorney. The same is true with a family court matter, the most valuable legal advice will come from an attorney that works in family law every day. An eviction defense attorney, family law, workers compensation attorney, social security attorney, and other non-criminal attorneys will appear in court for you, file paperwork for you, and provide you with legal advice that can help improve the outcome of the legal problem.

As with a criminal defense lawyer, you want to make sure you ask pointed questions about experience and their case win history. It is important to your matter that you choose an attorney that has a long history of winning the best outcomes for their clients. You don’t want a criminal lawyer to represent you in family court or during your eviction proceedings, you want the right lawyer with the right skill set.

4. Drug and Crime Correlation

There is a high correlation between drug use and crime. Drug addiction can prompt behaviors that the person would never engage in if they were sober. If you are struggling with alcohol or drug addiction and have been charged with a crime, your lawyer may recommend a detox and rehabilitation program. One of the key legal tips that you should be aware of is that while addiction is not an excuse for committing a crime, it is a reason for the behavior. Getting help to change your behavior may get you a better outcome with your court case.

Drug and alcohol addiction can promote criminal activity. Clearly, an individual on drugs or that is drunk can’t make reasonable decisions. Drug and alcohol programs can help you take your life back and potentially get a second chance with your court case. If your lawyer is asking you to take drug and alcohol classes or to go into treatment, they are asking you for a good reason. Following the legal advice from your attorney is how you will improve your odds of not going to jail.

One of the most valuable legal tips you will ever receive is if you have a drug or alcohol problem, get help. If you don’t do that, there is a very good chance you will end up with legal problems that could land you in jail. Act while you can.

5. Be Honest With Your Lawyer

Your lawyer is a court officer but does not work for the court. Your lawyer works for you and for your lawyer to defend you best, they need the whole story, and it needs to be an actual accounting of the facts. You don’t have to admit guilt to your lawyer, but you should share every fact of the case to ensure they can devise the best strategy to defend you.

You can read legal tips anywhere and you will never find a tip that says to lie to your lawyer. Lying to your lawyer will negatively affect the outcome of your case. Your lawyer is bound by confidentiality to keep what you say to themselves. They can’t share any information that you provide without your express consent. Your lawyer is there to defend you, not to judge you.

Being honest about your case is the only way your lawyer can defend you. Don’t risk the outcome of your case by not being truthful with your lawyer. It’s not worth the risk to fudge on the facts. Everything comes out eventually, and you are the only person you hurt by not telling your lawyer the truth.

6. Document Everything That Could Affect Your Case

This is one of the most valuable legal tips; document everything that has anything to do with your case. Whether you are facing criminal charges or you have a civil matter, it is essential that you document all the information you can about your case. If you get emails, phone calls, or other communication about your case, keep it.

Did you know that phone logs are admissible in court? They are in some types of cases. Let’s say you have been charged with harassment by your ex-spouse, yet you are the one being harassed. If you keep a phone log of every time your ex-spouse has called, you may be able to prove that you are not the one doing the harassment. If you are charged with failing to pay child support but you have receipts for all the things you have purchased and handed to your child’s parent, you may be able to incorporate that into your defense.

Documentation of all sorts can be valuable to defending against charges. Documentation is so important that even if you think the information is not important you should check with your attorney before you discard it. Be active in your defense by documenting everything that may affect your outcome.

6. Keep Your Emotions Out of It

Legal matters can be emotionally charged, but it’s important to maintain composure and keep your emotions in check. Emotional reactions can cause you more legal problems. It is important that you follow the legal tips from your attorney. Trust that your attorney is going to provide you with the guidance that will help your case. Don’t fly off the handle.

More times than once a person has gotten themselves into more trouble by an outburst in court. Remember that the judge is watching your reactions, and how you handle news you may not want to hear while you are sitting in court. Keep a poker face on and move with logic instead of letting your emotions get the best of you.

Emotional decision-making is not a course you want to take. Your attorney can help to keep you grounded but you do have to be able to follow the attorneys’ directions. The attorney will provide you with legal tips that are based on their own experience and that they have seen work before. Keep your emotions in check while you are dealing with legal matters and base your decision-making on sound advice from an expert in the legal field.

No one wants to have any type of legal problems, but sometimes no matter how hard you try, legal problems crop up. Following these legal tips will steer you in the right direction and help you get past your legal problems. Remember, document everything, keep a cool head, hire the right attorney, and follow the legal advice that your attorney provides you, it is how you will get the best possible outcome.