When Should I Contact An Attorney?

The following is information on when during the criminal process that you should consult with an attorney. To learn more schedule a consultation with a Prince William County criminal lawyer today.

In many cases, I am contacted by people the moment after they are contacted by police even before they are charged and that’s perfectly acceptable. I deal with cases every step of the way. I can tell you that getting an attorney involved before you are charged can be helpful because that attorney can manage the investigation to a degree and can limit police access to certain things and certain bits of information. Also, it get more difficult for them and if the case seems like it is tenuous at first, then they realize they are dealing with the lawyer on the other side, and in some cases they just go away. It doesn’t happen all the time, but sometimes they think it might not be worth their while to go forward if an attorney is involved early on.

If you have been charged with the crime, then absolutely you need to contact an attorney right away because sometimes these cases take some time to investigate. There may be motions that need to be filed and time can only help an attorney when handling serious criminal charges.

Why Should I Work With a Private Law Office As Opposed to Working With a Public Defender?

Generally, public defenders are very good attorneys. My answer to that is certainly not a comment on their ability as lawyers. I think working with a private attorney affords a more personalized experience. Certainly, you are going to get a lot more attention and you are going to get phone calls returned and e-mails returned in a timely manner.

I hear many times people call me and it is a week before they have a court date and they still haven’t heard from their public defender. Now, it may very well be that their public defender is working on the case and is getting ready for trial, but because they have so many more clients than a private attorney has, they just lack the resources and the ability to maintain a good stream of communication with each and every one of their clients. That is something that you sacrifice with the public defender and it is something that you don’t sacrifice with the private attorney.

Additionally, with the private attorney, you have a lot more resources at your disposal. With Price Benowitz, we have investigators on staff, a team of lawyers, and we have a team of law clerks. Each of them are going to be dedicated to making sure that your case is handled properly the best way possible.