Different lawyers may quote widely varying fees. Why is that?

We do not like to say things like “You get what you pay for” so we will simply explain why you shouldn’t hire the cheapest lawyer around. I will also explain why it may cost a little more to hire the right lawyer for your criminal defense case.

First, most lawyers have overhead or expenses associated with running their own businesses. They have to have an office, a secretary and other expenses like a license to practice, a car, continuing legal education and this is before we talk about the value of the lawyer’s time. The case law in the United States says that time as a 15 veteran lawyer is valued at over $400 per hour. That does sound like a lot to me, but the lawyer  has gone to college, then law school, then passed the Bar exam and then practice criminal defense and DUI defense for years. This actually means they have a lot of experience and they have a lot of experience right here in this area. This experience has a great deal of value to the clients. Clients are paying for the years of experience, and ability to get great results. they are paying for not just skills, but my relationships with prosecutors in the area. Clients are paying for a lawyer who is willing to do what it takes to get the job done, even if that means going back to court several times to work out the right deal. Even if that means filing a specific motion to get a specific result. Even if it means setting a case for trial because that is what it takes to get the job done.

So, let’s do some math: If the time is valued at over $400 her hour and they charge a client $1,000 to handle their case, this means that they have a about 2.5 hours to work on their case. It usually takes close to an hour for an initial consultation just to learn a little bit about my client and his or her case. It may take them a couple hours to make one court appearance. This is simply not enough time to work out most cases. They need to read the police reports, confer with the client, talk to the prosecutor about the client’s case and possibly file and argue applicable legal motions to get desired results.

By contrast, if they charge a fee of $2,500 or more to handle a case, they have allocated at least six to ten hours to work on the client’s case. This affords them the opportunity to go to court two or three times, or more, if needed. He also needs time to review necessary police reports and conduct needed investigations. In short, they must have sufficient time to do their job. And yes, that does cost you, the client, more money. But is almost always results in a better outcome for the client. And it always results in the client have a better understanding of what is going on with their case, giving them informed options about how to proceed with their case, and increases communication between the client and the lawyer.

And this is long before we even talk about the possibility and time and expense associated with going to trial on a case. How can a lawyer properly evaluate a case if he does not have enough time to review necessary documents, confer with his client and assess the need for any motions or need for further investigation? The answer is simple: The $1,000.00 lawyer wants to plead his client guilty as soon as possible in order to be as cost effective as possible. This almost always is doing a disservice to the client.

If you have case pending, and want to discuss fees, perhaps you should call Alex Truluck. Alexander Truluck focuses his practice as a criminal defense attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Largo, Dunedin and the Tampa Bay area.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.criminallawyerclearwaterflorida.com
or call (727) 799-3550.

We hear that expression a lot. However, are we really innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt?

Being arrested can be a terrible experience. You can deprived of your liberty, you could be embarrassed, it cost money to post bail to get out of jail and in the case of certain famous athletes, you could lose your job. The NHL or the NFL can do what they like with their players or do what they wish to their players. Each organization has rules in place to deal with situations that occur. Should a player get arrested, the organization has a policy about how to deal with the player. Just as many employers have work policies having to do with background checks or arrests and convictions. If John Doe gets arrested, John may get fired. He learned this when he read his company policy manual when he was hired. But wait, are we not entitled to some type of hearing or something before we get hired? Maybe, but that depends upon who you work, how they deal with such situations and the nature of your employment.

But an arrest is very different from a conviction. An arrest as defined by Wikipedia:

” Is the act of depriving a person of their liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation or prevention of crime and presenting (the arrestee) to a procedure as part of the criminal justice system.”

But the fact that someone has been arrested does not mean that the arrestee has done anything wrong. In fact, many people are arrested who are ultimately not charged with a crime or who are never convicted of a crime, or who are convicted of a lesser crime. Specifically, in the case of domestic violence in California, people are arrested every day based upon allegations of abuse by other parties and based upon a belief that abuse occurred without any eye witness corroboration and based upon speculation or conjecture by non-witnesses.

Please understand how our criminal justice system works. We all enjoy the presumption of innocence and the fact that we are all innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. This means that we either have to be found guilt, beyond a reasonable doubt by a judge or jury after a trial or we have to plead guilty in open court after being advised of the charges against us and given an opportunity to defend those charges at trial.

The courts  do not condone domestic violence or any other violation of the law. They support and respect our judicial system. It is by no means perfect, but it is likely the best judicial system in the world.

Please remember that no matter what the media says, no matter what we see on the internet, no matter what your gut tells you, you are all innocent until proven guilty. Know your rights, talk to a lawyer if you or a loved one is arrested. Enjoy your freedom and never forget that it is precious and often not appreciated until it is lost.

Alexander Truluck focuses his practice as a criminal defense attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Largo, Dunedin and the Tampa Bay area. For more information, visit our website at http://www.criminallawyerclearwaterflorida.com
or call (727) 799-3550.