The legal system in the United States is a pretty tricky thing, but one of its biggest benefits is that when you’re arrested, you are given a list of your rights. Among those rights is the right to an attorney, and if you can’t afford one, an attorney will be assigned to you. In other words, if you’d like to have an attorney represent you, you can no matter what your monetary situation looks like.
Of course, you can also hire a lawyer. But does it make sense to do this if you’ll be appointed one for free? In today’s post, we’ll take a look at this question and share our thoughts on the matter.
One thing we should mention before we get started is that while we do have an extensive knowledge of how the system works, we’re not lawyers. Everything you’ll read below is simply our perspective on things based one the experiences that we have had. The best bit of advice we can offer is to speak with someone you trust and be willing to listen to the advice they have to give you. Without further ado, keep reading to see our opinions on this matter.
Should You Spend Money On a Lawyer?
Let’s get right down to it. In a perfect world, you’d have the money to hire the best lawyer in the area. You’d be able to sit down and do some research, figure out which law firms have successfully handled cases that are similar to yours, and hire them right away. Unfortunately, it’s not a perfect world, and legal costs can really add up.
What it breaks down to is this: if you have the money, hiring a lawyer is a great option. Lawyers that you’re paying for their services are even more motivated to help you secure a positive outcome at your trial, because if they don’t, it can end up hurting their reputation, causing them to lose business down the line. In other words, they have quite a bit of motivation for wanting to do a good job for you.
But What About a Public Defender?
That’s certainly not to say that a public defender won’t do what he or she can to help you. In fact, in our experience, we’ve found that public defenders often don’t get as much credit as they deserve. They put in long hours, they have large caseloads, and they have to become experts in a number of different areas of the law. This means that they’re often incredibly qualified to handle the cases that come their way.
Unfortunately, it also means that they can be pulled in several directions at once through no fault of their own. This can lead to frustration on your part as they try to keep things together. We’ve seen public defenders do exceptional work time and time again, and we can’t say enough good things about the work that these people do for their clients without ever seeing a dime of their money.
What’s the Verdict?
So which option is right for you? The answer is that it depends on your specific situation. Can you afford to hire an attorney? It’s probably in your best interest to do so. Does the nature of your case require you to have the best lawyer possible? This is probably something that’s worth paying for. Are you completely at a loss for how you’d pay for a lawyer? Go with the public defender. Were you arrested for a routine crime? Again, a public defender might be your best bet.
As we mentioned above, however, the best advice we can give you is to speak with someone you trust in order to figure out what your best option is. One thing is for sure, however — you should always have a lawyer to represent you. Although you do have the option of representing yourself, having someone to talk strategy with is in your best interest, and as the old saying goes, two heads are better than one.
And speaking of advice, at Wanna Get Out Bail Bonds, we offer free bond advice, ensuring that you’re always able to make the best choice for your situation. Contact us today to get the help you need.
