Your role as a client
Although your case is in the hands of an expert attorney, you can still do some things to help the case run smoothly as you prepare for court:
Keep all of your documents organized and accessible to your lawyer. You should organize, label, and keep anything that may help your case. Ideally, everything should be located in only one or two places. For example, emails, files, contacts, etc should be in one digital folder shared with your lawyer. If there is any physical evidence, make sure it is labeled and made known to your lawyer. Trust them to sort out what is most useful and important; you just need to gather all the documentation and evidence you may have so that your lawyer can see the whole picture. The better organized and labeled your documents are, the easier it is for your lawyer to ascertain its case relevance.
Stay off social media in relation to your case. While it may feel good to vent, do not do it online. Save letting off steam to conversations with trusted family and friends. Realize that anything you post online or share through email could either be subpoenaed or viewed by stakeholders in your case, and you do not want anything used against you, even if you see it as harmless.
Be punctual. Make sure you are on time to appointments, and especially any court hearings.
Be accessible to your lawyer and respect their time. Be prepared for any appointments and have any documentation you need ready and organized. This can also save you money, as the time it takes for your lawyer to sift through your documents could be billable hours.
Keep emails and calls succinct and relevant. Remember that with a lawyer, time is money. It not only saves you money by not keeping your lawyer on the phone for a long period of time, but it also makes you a better client to keep communication brief and reasonable.
Most importantly, take care of yourself. While being involved in a criminal case can be stressful, rely on your personal network to help you de-stress. Make self-care a priority and do something each day that helps your mental well-being. Make sure you are not obsessing over the case, but dedicate only a limited amount of time in a day to dealing with or even thinking about it. The most time you should spend is gathering your relevant evidence and documents; once that is done, leave the work to your lawyer. They will reach out if they need something further.
Remember that one of the main reasons you hire a lawyer is because you need someone on your side who knows the law. Trust them to do their job, and keep yours limited. In the long run, it will save your sanity – and money.
If you need to hire an attorney, our office would be happy to assist you with your case. Do not hesitate to reach out for a free consultation today.
