The vast majority of people have not had extensive experiencing hiring a lawyer to assist with criminal matters, so they are a little unfamiliar with the process and the right time to hire legal representation. So when is the right time to reach out to a lawyer for advice? In today’s blog, we explain how long you should wait before connecting with a defense lawyer.
When To Hire A Lawyer
There’s really no black and white answer to the question posed at the beginning of this blog. There are certain situations where you’ll definitely want to have a lawyer by your side, and while there’s oftentimes a point where an interaction with police goes from civil to one that warrants a lawyer, it rarely ever gets to this point in the same exact manner. Interactions with police are unique, so it’s not always easy to tell when it’s wise to reach out to a lawyer.
With that said, we want to point out some situations where requesting a lawyer or the seizing the opportunity to speak with representation is a wise choice. You should reach out to a lawyer if:
- You have been arrested
- You are being questioned about your involvement in a criminal matter
- You have been told you are a suspect in an investigation
- You’ve been asked to perform field sobriety tests
- You have been formally charged with a crime
- A citation threatens a life necessity (like a traffic ticket causing problems for your driver’s license or job)
We also touched on this topic when talking about guilt and innocence, explaining that it’s always wise to have a lawyer by your side regardless of whether you’re innocent or guilty. A professional can clearly articulate the facts or navigate a complex system to secure your release or avoid a worst case scenario, so you could add “if you are innocent or guilty of the charges” to the above list as well.
Remember, law enforcement aren’t going to tell you that now is a great time to get a lawyer. They may read your Miranda rights to you, but that’s as close as they’ll get to informing you that now would be a very wise time to shut up and hire a lawyer. Don’t try to talk your way out of a situation where you could incriminate yourself without legal representation by your side.
Asking for a lawyer or hiring representation is NOT a sign of guilt. You are simply invoking the rights guaranteed to every citizen in the United States. Invoke those rights and hire an attorney if you’re ever involved in a criminal matter what your guilt or innocence is being questioned. Let us sort it out for you to protect your most basic rights.
If you believe you need an attorney, or you simply want to talk to a professional about your situation, connect with Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today at (952) 224-2277.
