Criminal Defence Lawyers have an incredibly important job to do. They represent those whose very future is at stake and take on a huge amount of responsibility on a daily basis.
Facing criminal charges is a stressful experience, with serious implications on your social and work life no matter the outcome. Hiring a professional criminal defence lawyer will give you the best possible chance of minimal damage being done.
When looking for the best criminal defence lawyer Scotland, it is important to look for a lawyer with extensive experience in taking on cases similar to your own and comes highly recommended by their previous clients.
But what exactly does a criminal defence lawyer do, and what will they do apart from representing you in court if the case reaches that stage?
Here are just some of the responsibilities that will be carried out by an expert criminal defence lawyer.
Evidence analysis
The very first thing that any criminal lawyer will do when they take on a new case is to analyse all of the evidence and facts of the case. This allows them to begin building their case and puts them in a better position to advise their clients.
Evidence that looks damning to the untrained eye is not always conclusive, and a skilled criminal lawyer will suggest smart measures for tackling the issues faced.
Collecting Evidence
The more evidence they have at their disposal the more ammo a criminal lawyer has to build a case for the defence. If you are facing criminal charges yourself, the worst thing that you can possibly do is try and conceal evidence from your lawyer. Even if you think it might make you look guilty or are embarrassed about what it shows, show them anything that you think may be relevant to the case.
Answering questions
Those who have been accused of a crime, especially for the very first time, will understandably have a lot of questions about the legal process. Being in the dark can be a scary situation and lead to rash decision making that will only harm the defendants case so a criminal lawyer will be on hand to answer any questions about the process that their clients may have.
They must also update their clients on the latest developments regarding the case and let them know if they need to do anything.
Working at all hours
Being a criminal lawyer is not your standard 9-5 job and these experts can be found working all sorts of weird and wonderful hours, especially in the days leading up to a big case being heard in court.
If their client is arrested and brought into the police station for questioning at short notice, they may need to drop everything and rush down there to ensure they are present during the interview. If you are considering becoming a criminal lawyer it is important to understand exactly what is involved. This is not an easy job and only a select few have the skills and desire to succeed.
