You’ve probably seen television shows where people facing criminal charges represent themselves and win their cases without a lawyer. In Hollywood, winning a case without an attorney is often portrayed as simple and easy, but that’s not real life.
In fact, it doesn’t matter if you’re defending yourself or bringing charges against someone else – you don’t stand a chance at winning your case without a lawyer.
Regardless of your circumstances, if you’re involved in legal matters, here are 3 reasons to hire representation.
1. If you’re facing criminal charges, you need an attorney
Of all the reasons you might be involved in a legal battle, if you’re facing criminal charges, you need an attorney. You have a Constitutional right to defend yourself, but your future is at stake, and representing yourself is a losing strategy.
For example, say you’re facing drug charges or a DUI charge. You might think it should be easy enough to prove your innocence. However, that’s not how it works and it’s not that easy. For example, there might be something you believe makes it clear that you’re innocent, but you can’t present that evidence in court. Or, it might not actually pull any weight with the judge or jury.
When you’re emotionally involved in your own situation, your vision is going to be clouded. You’re also prone to making mistakes with court procedures and paperwork, and you’re likely to react emotionally to what the prosecution says. All of these things can hurt your case.
When you have an attorney, they’ll make sure all procedures are followed, all paperwork gets filed correctly and on time, and they’ll advise you regarding how to act in the courtroom. They won’t let you say or do anything that might harm your case outcome.
2. Cases don’t always turn out how you might think
There is a huge misconception that court cases will turn out fully in your favor if the other party has broken an obvious law or statute. That isn’t necessarily true, and this is something people have to learn the hard way. For example, a lot of people think contracts are binding no matter what, and if they go to court, the judge will rule against the person who broke their end of the agreement. However, there are many situations where this doesn’t happen.
One example is if a landlord and tenant go to court over the tenant breaking the lease and refusing to pay the remaining months. You would think this would be cut and dried, but not always. Say they get to court and the judge sees that the landlord asked for a security deposit equal to 5 months’ rent and has several illegal clauses in the lease. The judge might see that as unreasonable, and let the tenant out of the lease simply because the landlord acted in bad faith.
Things like this happen all the time. You can’t just read a law or statute and think it’s black and white. Only an attorney can advise if you have a case, and what might happen in light of all the details.
3. Attorneys know how to win cases
There’s a reason attorneys are confident in their abilities – they have experience. They’ve been involved in many cases and have won some and lost some, so they know how to play the game. When you try to represent yourself, you lack the experience required to prepare and present a good case. Not knowing the legal system is an insurmountable obstacle. When it comes to negotiating a settlement, that’s where you really want an attorney. Whoever you’re up against will lowball your offers in hopes that you’ll just take whatever you can get. Most of the time, this results in unfair compensation. A lawyer will know what your case is worth and they’ll negotiate a fair settlement.
If winning your case matters, hire a lawyer. It doesn’t matter if you’re only taking your neighbor to court over a noise complaint. No matter how small your issue, your chances of winning are low without legal counsel.
Don’t fight your legal battles alone
Never try to fight a legal battle on your own. For the best outcome, hire an attorney to represent you and negotiate on your behalf. If you don’t have experience in the courtroom and a law degree, the chances of you winning your case are slim to none.
If you care about winning, don’t take that risk.
Speaks from heart, always too passionate and driven by emotions. Spins the words with kindness & sharpness, intriguing your ever-inscrutable minds.