There are many types of law and some of the most common ones would include: criminal law, civil law, divorce law, family law, etc. In this article, we will be talking specifically about criminal law due to the vast range of offences committed that we will in one way or another, encounter in our everyday life, be it on the Internet or the newspapers.

What is criminal law?

Criminal law is an arm of the law that dictates punishments for offences that may cause harm, damages, distress or even trauma to people or properties. Some offences can include: trespassing, theft, extortion, burglary, fraud, rape, battery (assault), etc.

Committing an offence

Some solicitor firms operate on a 24-hour basis to serve the needs of clients who have fallen afoul of the law, whether they have committed a traffic or criminal offence and require emergency legal aid in such cases. For clients who are taken into custody, they may be able to engage a solicitor for legal advice before they are interrogated by the police. This may help the client in answering the questions during the interrogation and prevent him from saying things that he could be falsely convicted for. For example, if a person is arrested for riding along a passenger who is in possession of dangerous drugs, the former cannot be convicted for possession of the such a drug unless the prosecutor can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the passenger knew about the drugs in the center console.

Hiring a solicitor

Engaging a solicitor to present the case on your behalf and fight for your rights could mean a higher percentage of winning the case for you. With years of legal training and experience in court battles, a criminal defense solicitor (Click here for Gretna lawyer or similar professionals) will be able to present your case in a clear and concise manner and know about the legal requirements to put you in a better light, as compared to you fighting it out alone. If you are found guilty of an offense, the solicitor may even be able to fight for a lenient sentence through an appeal.

Having a safety net

In some cases, you may be wrongly accused of some petty crime like shoplifting and in severe cases, rape or murder. If these false accusations are not handled properly, you can be wrongfully indicted and incarcerated. Especially when it comes to crimes involving illegal drugs, you would want to hire a drug crime lawyer in Fort Worth or one in your jurisdiction. You may think that the ongoing investigations will prove you innocent, but there is a certain chance that the situation will not be in your favour. Engaging a lawyer from the very start could increase your chance of proving your innocence and prevent you from having the situation of going through the entire process alone.

Planning your budget

Engaging a solicitor can be a very costly process and it could wipe out almost all of your savings if you are not careful with your choice. A solicitor with many years of experience under his belt will tend to charge a higher fee as compared to a junior lawyer with little experience. Some solicitors do engage in pro bono work or even offer a plan where they will charge you only if they have won the case.

It is human nature to err occasionally, and should you find yourself in a situation where you have committed a crime either intentionally or unintentionally, be prepared for the worst and always seek legal aid as the first solution to mitigate the situation that you are in.