Plano Lawyer Referral Service

For More Information About Protecting Your Legal Rights, Take A Look At These Resources

To learn more about your legal rights and other topics of our recent blogs, simply follow these links, where you’ll find information about important concepts in both civil and criminal law. If you need help choosing an attorney to represent you in court, call Plano Lawyer Referral Service at (972) 424-6113.

• Check out this website for a few tips about what to do if you are arrested.
• When meeting with a lawyer for an initial consultation, the American Bar Association suggests you ask these questions.
• In civil court, many cases are filed to request damages for injuries or wrongs. Read more about this form of financial compensation from this website.
• Head over to the website of the United States Courts to learn about the stages of a criminal trial.
• The right against self-incrimination is guaranteed by the Constitution. For information about the history of this important legal principle, check out this article.

Steps to Take if You've Been Arrested and Charged With a Crime

If you’re arrested for a criminal offense, you may feel overwhelmed or uncertain about what to do. However, the actions you take are very important and may affect the outcome of your case. Read on to find out the three steps you should take if you’ve been arrested and charged with a crime.

1. Don’t talk to the police. If you are arrested for a crime, you should never speak to the police. Even if you think that what you’re saying could never be used against you, police may go out of their way to find a way to use your own words against you, or they may misconstrue what you’ve said. Instead, simply exercise your constitutional rights against incriminating yourself and do not say anything without an attorney present.
2. Write down your account of events. No matter what crime you’ve been charged with, take the time to sit down and write out what happened on the day in question. Try to do this as soon as possible so that you can remember relevant details, like exact times and locations. This record of events will be helpful later, when officers ask you detailed questions about where you were, and it may play a major role in your defense.
3. Call a lawyer immediately. Some defendants who are accused of minor offenses or who think they have airtight alibis wait to call an attorney, and most regret it. If you have a lawyer on your side from the beginning, he or she can help you interact with police officers in a way that gives them as little information as possible, and he will be instrumental in building a solid defense. Even if you think you don’t need an attorney, it is always better to have one than to realize later that you should have hired one.

Anyone arrested for a crime has a right to an attorney, and you should always exercise that right. If you need help finding the right lawyer for your situation, call Plano Lawyer Referral Service today at (972) 424-6113 for assistance.

Steps in the Judicial Process | Criminal Law | Jury Trial

Before a jury trial takes place, defendants will usually have a number of previous court appearances. Check out this video for a lawyer’s explanation of this process.

In this video, you’ll hear about the process of making bail, arraignment, and subsequent pre-trial court appearances. After these steps, a defendant must decide if he wants to pursue a jury trial or accept the plea bargain he has been offered.

If you’ve been charged with a crime, you need an attorney to help you through the complex judicial process. For help finding the right lawyer for your situation, contact Plano Lawyer Referral Service today at (972) 424-6113.

3 Ways that An Attorney Can Assist with Your Civil Case

When you’re pursuing an action in court, you need a committed lawyer by your side to help you get the justice you deserve. Here are three of the ways that an attorney can help your civil case succeed.

1. Calculating Damages

Many civil court cases are based around damages, financial compensation for injuries or legal wrongs. An attorney can help you figure out how much to ask for in damages from the defendant. In civil suits, courts will often award compensation for non-economic damages like pain and suffering, and a lawyer will know how to figure out how much you are entitled to so that you get the full financial remedy you deserve.

1. Hiring Experts

Experts play a key role in civil cases. They provide documentation and justification for your claims. For example, if you are injured, you may need a physician or medical expert to authoritatively explain your injuries to the court so that the judge truly understands how your life has been affected. If you have an attorney, he can take care of the process of finding experts, hiring them, and working with them on their testimony to make it as compelling as possible.

1. Navigating the Legal System

Filing a lawsuit is about more than just the time you spend in court; it also involves paperwork and procedure that can be difficult to handle on your own. If you’re filing a suit in civil court, you will need an attorney to make sure that all the procedural matters are handled correctly, so your suit has the best possible chance in court. Without an expert who knows the ropes on your side, you run the risk of making a mistake that could ruin your case.

If you’re looking for a lawyer to represent you in a civil court matter, call Plano Lawyer Referral Service today at (972) 424-6113. We can help you find an attorney who will work to get you the compensation you deserve.

Learn More About Common Legal Issues From These Websites

If you’ve found the topics of our recent blogs interesting, you’ll enjoy these additional resources, which contain more detailed explanations of important concepts surrounding bankruptcy and personal injury.

• After declaring bankruptcy, you’ll need to rebuild your credit carefully. Bankrate.com has tips for helping you reestablish your good credit.
• This article debunks myths about bankruptcy.
• You may have heard that the number of personal injury lawsuits has skyrocketed, but that simply isn’t true, as the American Association for Justice explains.
• At the U.S. Courts’ website, you can learn more about the different types of bankruptcy.
• Check out this article from BuffaloNews.com to learn why bankruptcy filings decreased last year in upstate New York and the rest of the country.

Educating yourself is important, but if you’re thinking about filing a bankruptcy petition or personal injury lawsuit, you need the assistance of an attorney. Call Plano Lawyer Referral Service at (972) 424-6113 for help finding a lawyer to guide you through the intricacies of these legal processes.