Devina Douglas, Attorney at Law (707) 408-3529
  • Home
  • Profile
  • Practice Areas
    • DUI
    • Assault Crimes
    • Theft Crimes
    • Domestic Violence
    • Drug Crimes
    • Sex Crimes
    • Homicide
    • Restraining Order-related >
      • Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
      • Other Types of Protective Orders
      • If You Are Served With A Protective Order
      • Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence
  • Contact
  • Results
  • Other information
    • Devina's Blog
    • Cal. Fish and Game Updates
    • Commonly-Requested Documents >
      • Local Ordinances
    • Reference Links
  • Disclaimer
  • SoCo and COVID

Why do I even need a lawyer?

4/15/2017

 
​Most of us were raised to know that when we do something wrong, the right thing to do is to take responsibility for our actions. Owning up to our mistakes nearly always guaranteed a fair and just punishment. Because of this, it seems intuitive then that when we get into trouble with the law, the same principles should apply, leading us to wonder why we need a lawyer at all.  After all, why do we need to pay someone to stand there beside us when we throw ourselves on the mercy of the court? 
The answer is simple: because the law is often times so complex that even the most straightforward cases can have surprising twists and turns.  Lawyers pride themselves on their ability to zealously represent their clients, in other words, doing everything they can within the bounds of the law to ensure that their client wins. Without someone in your corner who can help you determine if the other side is asking for a lot from you because their client has a very strong case or because they are merely pushing for every advantage, it can be hard to know if you are getting a fair deal.
When debating whether to hire a lawyer, it is important to keep in mind what is at stake.  In a civil case, it’s often either your money or property at risk. In a criminal case, however, you stand to lose your money, property and your freedom.  So while you probably don’t need a lawyer to help you handle fighting the ticket you got for driving 67 mph in a 65 mph-zone, if you’re charged with even a slightly more serious crime, having a lawyer in your corner can really pay off.  Here are the ways in which retaining a lawyer can definitely help:
  • Discovery: In most cases, whenever you go to court, you have the right to know what evidence the other party has against you.  The process of finding out what the other side knows is a called discovery, and a lawyer will be able to explain to you what information you’re entitled to have, how soon the other side needs to give it to you and, perhaps more importantly, can help you get it if the other side is resisting. A lawyer can also tell you what information you may have to turn over to the other side, and what information you can keep to yourself.
  • Tackling timing issues: In order to keep the system running efficiently, the courts and other administrative agencies (like the DMV, for example,) have constructed a system full of deadlines. In some instances, missing these deadlines can extinguish some of your rights.  For example, if you’re charged with a DUI, not only are you subject to punishment from the courts, you are subject to punishment from the DMV, which has the authority to suspend or revoke your driver’s license.  Just like in the criminal justice system, you have the right to a hearing with the DMV, allowing you to present your side of the case, before this happens. However, something a lot of people don’t know is that the DMV can suspend your driver’s license automatically unless you notify the DMV within 10 days of the incident that you wish to have a hearing on the issue.
  • Determining whether you need to appear: Something else a lot of people don’t know is that for some crimes and at some stages of the proceedings, you don’t even need to personally appear in court; your lawyer can appear on your behalf.  This can mean not having to miss as much work, not having to travel to the courthouse, and not having to deal with the stress of appearing before a judge.  For some people, these economic and emotional savings outweigh the cost of hiring a lawyer.
  • Rights:  You have a lot of rights, especially in criminal matters. A lawyer will ensure that you are afforded the full advantage of every one of these rights, and that no one in the system takes advantage of you.
  • Investigators: Most law firms have the ability to hire investigators to independently research the facts of the case.  Not only are most witnesses to an incident more willing to talk to an investigator than they would be in talking to you, a lawyer’s investigator has experience in talking to people who may not want to admit they witnessed an event, they know what questions to ask, and they have the ability to look into a witnesses background to help establish or refute that witnesses credibility.
  • Negotiations:  Most legal matters start off with one side asking for more than they expect to get in the end.  Lawyers have experience in recognizing when a deal is as good as it’s going to get, and when they can push for more.   Also, by having a lawyer negotiate on your behalf, the negotiations tend to be less emotionally charged, ensuring the discussions are based on facts and you get an equitable result.
  • Making it all go away: In California, there are some crimes which can effectively be erased from your record if you successfully complete probation.  A lawyer can not only tell you which crimes can be expunged from your record, and which can’t, a lawyer can handle all the legwork needed to erase the conviction from your record, if you are eligible.
 
If you think you might need a Criminal Defense Attorney in the North Bay Area, feel free to contact Devina Douglas. 

Comments are closed.

    Author

    Devina strives to make information relevant to the lives of her clients easily accessible. 

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All
    DMV Related
    Domestic Violence
    Drugs
    DUI
    General Criminal Defense
    Gun Rights
    Marijuana Related
    Marijuana-Related
    SCOTUS News
    Weird News

    RSS Feed

Proudly serving Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Mendocino and Lake Counties (and occasionally venturing as far as Yolo, Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties).
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly

​This website is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. Do not act or refrain from acting based on anything you read on this site. Using this site or communicating with the Law Office of Devina Douglas through this site does not form an attorney/client relationship. This site is legal advertising. Please review the full disclaimer for more information. (LINK TO FULL DISCLAIMER PAGE)
  • Home
  • Profile
  • Practice Areas
    • DUI
    • Assault Crimes
    • Theft Crimes
    • Domestic Violence
    • Drug Crimes
    • Sex Crimes
    • Homicide
    • Restraining Order-related >
      • Domestic Violence Restraining Orders
      • Other Types of Protective Orders
      • If You Are Served With A Protective Order
      • Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence
  • Contact
  • Results
  • Other information
    • Devina's Blog
    • Cal. Fish and Game Updates
    • Commonly-Requested Documents >
      • Local Ordinances
    • Reference Links
  • Disclaimer
  • SoCo and COVID