Finding a Lawyer:
Personal Injury, Criminal Defense and Everything in Between
Trying to handle a legal case on your own can be very foolhardy. What started out as a simple and fairly straightforward event may turn into a lengthy and drawn out court case that will cost you two or three times, or even more, than what you would have paid to have a lawyer represent you. Think about it this way, you would never let your cousin Zeke operate on you without his medical degree, nor would you let Aunt Susan repair your car without knowing that she is a certified mechanic; why would you try to take on the law without the benefit of having a lawyer?
In some instances, the time that you have to file a case is limited. Finding a defense lawyer would help you to get all necessary paperwork filed before your time runs out. In other cases, you may take a case to court, lose and then be barred from resubmitting that same or similar case or from filing an appeal. (Dismissed with prejudice) In other cases, you may have your case thrown out but with the admonition to find a defense lawyer to help you strengthen and re-file the case. (Dismissed without prejudice)
If the case that you are dealing with is a criminal one, especially a criminal defense, you have to be assured that you will not be treated unfairly, first and foremost, and you must be aware of the penalties that you might face if you lose your case. For instance, even for some of the simplest cases, you could face stiff fines, court costs, community service hours or even jail time. To illustrate that point, here are some penalties used in Florida:
- Pull a gun = mandatory 10 years in prison (in addition to other charges)
- Pull the trigger = mandatory 20 years.
- Shoot someone = 25 years to life whether they live or die.
Courts are confusing and can be very scary, especially if you are the defendant in any case. Finding a defense lawyer to help you will take some of the confusion out of the situation. Your lawyer will help you through the process and explain the steps and the terminology as the case progresses.