Whether you’re filing a lawsuit against someone else, or the state has filed criminal charges against you, it’s imperative that you hire an attorney to handle your case. Whether it’s a civil or criminal matter, you’ll get better results with an attorney. Although, it’s absolutely critical to hire a lawyer if you’re the one facing criminal charges. For example, in North Carolina, being convicted of white collar crimes, like healthcare fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement, can result in huge fines and 5-25 years in prison, depending on the offense and circumstances. An attorney can potentially get your charges and/or sentence reduced.
In the United States, you have a Constitutional right to defend yourself, but that doesn’t mean you should. No matter why you’re involved in a lawsuit, here are some of the best reasons to hire an attorney.
1. Only an attorney can get your charges reduced
When you’re facing criminal charges, it’s highly likely that you’ll be offered some kind of plea agreement, where you’ll be asked to plead guilty to lesser charges in order to have your original charges dropped. You don’t want to negotiate your own plea deal because you probably won’t get much of a deal. In fact, if you’re a pro se defendant, the prosecution may not even offer you a plea deal to start with.
With extremely rare exceptions, you’ll need an attorney to get your charges reduced. Most people who represent themselves in court fail to get a positive outcome for their case, and it’s almost unheard of for pro se defendants to negotiate their own plea bargain.
2. Case outcomes are nuanced
In a civil lawsuit, unless you’re in small claims court and can’t bring in a lawyer, you will need an attorney to win your case. The legal system is too complex for you to gain an adequate understanding of legal procedure and all the intricacies of case law in time for your day in court. Laws may seem cut and dried when read, but lawsuits are not. There are far too many ways the details of your case can influence a negative outcome, even when you believe you’re in the right based on reading statutes and laws.
For example, even if you have a signed contract from someone who broke their end of the agreement, there are plenty of ways the contract itself might be deemed unenforceable. An attorney would be able to tell you right away if there’s a problem with your contract and save you the hassle and cost of filing a lawsuit. Or, they might take your case if they know how it can be won.
3. Your best evidence could be inadmissible
Trying to represent yourself in court will not go well, regardless of your circumstances. The situation might appear cut and dried to you, but you’ll have to demonstrate that to the court, and you can’t just do it your way. In fact, if you try to represent yourself, one of your biggest obstacles will be finding out that your best evidence is inadmissible.
For example, say you have a video recording of the situation in question that you believe clears you of any wrongdoing. If it was recorded in a location where people have an expectation of privacy (including your own home), and you didn’t get express permission to film the other parties, you won’t be able to submit that video as evidence.
If you choose to represent yourself because you think it will be easy to prove your innocence, think again, because court cases are highly technical proceedings, and you won’t be given the freedom to say and do anything you want.
4. An attorney can get your case completed quickly
Most people don’t want their case dragged out, but without an attorney, that’s probably going to be exactly what happens. If you’re on your own, not knowing what to do will cause you to stumble around in the courtroom delaying your case. An attorney will do everything possible to get your case completed swiftly and in your favor, including avoiding a trial.
Trials are time-consuming and expensive, and defense attorneys and prosecutors both want to get cases completed quickly. This is why most civil cases settle out of court, and most criminal cases end with a plea bargain.
Don’t skip the attorney
No matter how easy television shows make it seem, representing yourself in court is a bad idea and probably won’t end in a favorable outcome for your case.
Don’t go to court unprepared and alone. Hire an attorney to give yourself a fighting chance.
Laila Azzahra is a professional writer and blogger that loves to write about technology, business, entertainment, science, and health.