The sixth amendment to the US Constitution guarantees every person the right to an attorney, regardless of their ability to pay. Of course, you don’t need to exercise this right if you have a court appearance in your near future, but if anything significant is on the line at all, you should strongly consider expressing that right. In today’s blog, we explain why it’s so important to follow through with your right to an attorney.
Potential Problems Of Self-Representation
You are allowed to represent yourself at trial, and if you’re just going to court to fight an unjust parking ticket, going it alone may actually be the right call. However, if there’s more than just a small fine on the line, it’s in your best interest to at least take a free consultation with a lawyer before trial. Here’s why self-representation can be a problem in the court of law.
1. Complex – Legal matters are highly complex, and if you don’t totally understand how to put yourself in the best position to win your case, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice. There’s going to be times when you’ll need to object, when you’ll need to file the right paperwork and when you’ll need to create an argument that will be influential to a judge or jury. Without experience, it will be tough to do these things well, and that can hurt your case.
2. Numerous Deadlines – There will be a number of deadlines and mandatory appearances that you’ll need to meet if you’ll be acting as your own lawyer. A missed deadline can cripple your case or lead to more legal problems, and not being aware of these deadlines will not be an excuse.
3. Pros Vs. Joes – In civil cases, it might just end up being your word versus the word of a neighbor or a business owner. In criminal law, it’s your word versus the case that the state puts forth. The state will have legal professionals in their corner, so if you don’t do the same, you’ll be effectively taking on a lawyer on your own. It’s easy to get taken advantage of when you’re up against a professional and you have little experience in their field. However, you can make it a fair fight by connecting with a lawyer.
4. The Emotional Toll – Many people don’t really realize how emotionally draining a court case can be, and that’s especially true if you are also on the hook for planning your legal defense. You can get peace of mind by letting a lawyer do the heavy lifting with your case, which is great for your mental health. Don’t just look at the financial cost you believe you’ll be saving by forgoing a lawyer, because you’ll have greater mental burdens as a result of representing yourself in court.
5. Less Likely To Win – Finally, when you look at all the above factors, it’s easy to see that you’ll be much less likely to earn a favorable outcome if you try to win your case on your own. If something significant is on the line, like jail time or your driving ability, don’t make it much harder to avoid a worst case scenario by forgoing a lawyer. Increase your odds of securing a favorable result by hiring a lawyer.
Keep these tips in mind and trust you case to an experienced legal team if you stand to lose a lot with a conviction. In the greater Twin Cities area, we hope you’ll connect with Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm. Give our team a call today at (952) 224-2277.
