Getting a criminal lawyer is not something you want to do. It is something that you should and need to do when charged with a criminal offence.
Here are some steps that our lawyer, Emily Cousins suggests to make instructing a criminal lawyer easier for you.
- Know your court date
If you have been put on bail this will be on your bail agreement. If you have received a summons this will be at the top of your summons. In a Criminal matter, a summons is an official court document notifying a person that they are being charged with a crime and must appear in court or respond by a specific date.
- Know which court you are appearing in
This will be on your bail agreement or summons, information that should be provided to your lawyer as early as possible.
Your bail agreement will say something like: ‘Magistrates Court sitting in (for example) Adelaide, or Christies Beach, or Elizabeth, or Port Pirie’. Your summons will have a box at the top of page 1 with ‘Hearing Location:’ and (for example) ‘Christies Beach Magistrates Court’ or ‘Port Adelaide Magistrates Court’.
- Know what the police said to you
In the process of being charged, the police would have provided you a rough idea of what the matter is about. The more you can remember and tell us what was said, the easier it is for us to advise you in the early stages.
- Know what you said to police
We’ll usually ask you if you answered any questions to the police. This is important as criminal lawyers want to know if you answered any questions or given any information that may be used against you. We can usually get a copy of your interview with police as it will have been recorded, but this takes time and we like to know early to be able to provide the correct advice.
- Be prepared to go to court
This includes:
- Dressing appropriately (no singlets, no crop tops, no big or offensive logos). Neat casual or work clothes are generally fine. You don’t need to show up in a full three-piece suit, but you do need to show to the court that you are taking the matter seriously.
- Being slightly early. We want to meet with you and discuss briefly what will happen before actually appearing in court. If you are late, the court may hear the matter without you and can issue a warrant for your arrest.
- Understanding that your lawyer will do the talking for you. You instruct a criminal lawyer to guide you through the process and speak on your behalf in court. If you are required to speak at any stage, we will advise you of this.
- Court etiquette. When you enter the courtroom, you should bow slightly to the Magistrate or Judge, ensure your phone is off or on silent, and follow the directions of your lawyer and court staff, all whilst behaving in a respectful manner.
If you are prepared with all of the above, this helps our lawyers to help you.
If you need criminal law advice and representation, contact Craig Caldicott Lawyers on (08)7095 3440. We are here to help.
