'When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be' ~ Lao Tzu

Hiring a Criminal Attorney in Nashville

If you have been charged for a crime, such as a DUI, then you are probably best served to get a criminal attorney to represent your case.

Many people think they can represent themselves in a criminal case, but generally it is not a good idea. If you truly want to try and get your charges dropped, dismissed, or reduced... you need someone experienced working with you on your case. Oftentimes, an attorney can leverage their knowledge of the system to get you a charge involving community service in lieu of jailtime. If you feel like your charges may put you at risk of being behind bars, you should definitly hire an attorney.

Picking the right attorney can be difficult. There are so many different firms that can represent you and your case. Most people would recommend that you leverage an attorney or firm that has been around for a while. For example Andrew C. Beasley in Nashville is a former prosecuter... so odds are this guy knows the right people, as he has spent a large portion of his career on the other side of the court room.

If you get stopped for a DUI, the first thing you should do is call an attorney. You should not say a word to the police officer, you should just stop talking (if you can control yourself), and say that you want to call your lawyer. Your attorney will then advise you on the best next steps to help you do the least amount of damage to yourself.

Most attorney's work on an hourly rate, but oftentimes, an attorney will work on a project basis. If they are working on an hourly rate, they will likely ask that you provide them with an initial retainer fee. From that point, you will receive an invoice each month detailing the charges that have been incurred, and a statement showing how that balance has been offset against your retainer. Most attorney's ask that you replenish your retainer back to the full amount once it has been depleted, but others want you to replenish it immediately, and will then refund you the balance once your case has been closed. In any case, getting your lawyer paid is one of the most important things to do... the last thing you want is your lawyer firing you due to non-payment, as they have to tell the judge why they are no longer representing you.

It is also important to know the difference between diferrent types of attorneys. If you are trying to start a business, there are corporate attorneys. If you are having issues with your taxes, there are separate tax attorneys. If you want to file a claim against someone for malpractice, there are specific malpractice attorneys. There are also family attorneys for help with divorce, custody, adoption, and other similar issues. A criminal attorney is there to represent you when you have actually be charged with a crime. Most often, you will want to know several different types of attorneys to help you through life. There are also services available that you pay a monthly fee and they have all of the different types of attorneys available to help you without the big retainers.