Getting arrested can be a scary and confusing event. In order to get through this challenging situation with the least amount of damage and trauma, it’s crucial to have a reliable criminal lawyer on your side. This legal professional can help you navigate this trying time and assist you in getting out of the situation as professionally as possible. Here are a few reasons why you should have the name of a reliable lawyer on hand.

1. Helping You Understand Your Charges

One of the biggest advantages of having a criminal lawyer on your side is that they will be able to help you better understand the charges being brought against you. In our experience, although law enforcement is required to disclose your charges to you upon arrest, that doesn’t necessarily mean you understand the charges. A compassionate legal professional will be able to explain what has happened in a way that is clear to you. Getting a clear understanding of what has happened can often help bring a lot of peace of mind and help you better plan out a course of action.

2. Investigating Your Case

Although technically you’re allowed by the law to represent yourself following an arrest, this isn’t recommended. We’ve seen that there are often in-depth investigations that need to take place in order to collect the necessary information for a case. A criminal lawyer has the skills, time, and resources to conduct this type of investigation on your behalf. Without this step, you might be missing vital information that could play a big part in your case.

3. Navigating the Justice System

A lot of what goes into a successful case is paperwork-related. There are many documents that must be submitted to the court, and they must be submitted in a very particular way. When court documents aren’t submitted properly, it can delay a case. Worse than that, it can also send a case in the wrong direction. You don’t want to receive a bad outcome simply because you didn’t know how to navigate the justice system.

These are just a few reasons why you need a reliable criminal lawyer on your side following an arrest. According to Statista, in 2022, there were roughly 1.33 million lawyers in the United States. When it’s your case on trial, you want the very best. If you’re looking for a criminal lawyer in your area, please contact Pratt & Wall today.