Representing Yourself In Court
Mar 14, 2017 
Will I Save Money by Representing Myself?
You might. But that often means taking a “guilty” plea in order to close the case as quickly as possible. Another concern is that you will likely pay more in fines to the court than you would if an attorney represented you.
Pleading guilty to a crime may seem like the easiest way out of an intimidating situation. If you’ve never been to court before, you probably don’t know how the system works. A ticket or charges may seem like a big thing sitting on your “to-do” list. It’s tempting to think you can minimize the time spent resolving the problem if you just take care of it yourself. Keep in mind: pleading guilty without an attorney‘s help means you also lose valuable opportunity to investigate and work with the prosecutor to reduce charges and/or fines.
If you’re unfamiliar with the court system, you will probably be surprised by the amount of fines that can be imposed by a court. For example, a DUI charge may suspend a license, require an ignition interlock, etc. An attorney may be able to work with a prosecutor to lower the charge so it won’t carry these other unforeseeable consequences. If fines are too much for your pocketbook, an attorney can talk to the court about community service instead of fees, or arrange a payment plan.
Sometimes it may not be worth the expense of hiring an attorney to take care of your case. Keep in mind: you may not be able to recognize that without first speaking to an attorney. Look for an attorney willing to explain what aspects of the case you should or shouldn’t do. Many lawyers offer free consultations (usually 15-30 minutes).
Don’t plead guilty to a crime without talking to an attorney. Call Condie Law today: 801-690-7707
FAQs:
Resources:
- Utah State Bar tips on finding an attorney
- LicensedLawyer.org – a free referral program run by the Utah State Bar