I Find Out What Happened
When you contact me after you’ve been arrested, I’ll invite you to come to my office or to have a video call to discuss what’s happened up until now, and how I can help defend you.
I Explain The Process And Possible Resolutions
We’ll then discuss your situation, what you’re being charged with, and how I think I can help you. I’ll go through the likely the path the case may take, and what our next steps will be. I’ll also talk to the prosecutor (also called the district attorney, or DA) to get their perspective and thoughts.
My aim will be to resolve the case in a way that causes you as little distress and time as possible. When considering my advice and recommendations for what outcome to aim for (and which strategy to take), I’ll always pay attention to your needs and expectations. It’s your life, after all – and you need to be involved.
I don’t keep you in the dark about anything: I want you to have a complete understanding of everything that will go on regarding your case. And I want you to fully understand the potential results of any plan of action we take.
You Hire Me
If you’re confident in my ability to help you, you’ll then “retain” me. “Retaining” essentially means paying a fee to secure my services in representing you. It’s a flat fee, and the precise amount depends on the nature of the case. I’ll be able to tell you the fee during our first meeting.
I Prepare Our Case
My actions here will depend on many different factors – such as the seriousness of the charge, the strength of their case, your prior record, and if there’s any information we can provide them with about your general character.
Based on those factors, we might, for example, aim for a plea offer (where you agree to plead guilty to a lesser, possibly non-criminal charge and thus avoid further litigation), or we might decide to go to trial (if, say, I think you have a good chance of being found not guilty).
Regardless of the path we take (and there are many of them), I’ll keep you fully informed of how the process works and all the potential outcomes we could end up with.
I understand what you’re going through, and the fear you must be feeling right now. Rest assured that I’m always just a phone call away from any answers or advice you may need.