subject: When You Cannot Afford A Criminal Defense Attorney [print this page] Finding a criminal defense attorney when you are in trouble is important. Hiring a law professional could be costly, so it is important for you to consider this as something important in your search. Of course, most important is to have a lawyer that is successful, but it is also important that you can afford the lawyer.
If you absolutely cannot afford to hire a criminal defense attorney, then you will have to consider some options. You could talk to family about helping you if they are in the position to do this. You could consider a loan. You could also consider using the criminal defense attorney provided pro bono. It might all depend on what the situation is as to how critical it is. One thing you do not want to do is choose to defend yourself.
If you have a good relationship with your family, you should speak with them about your situation. Be honest with them, and if you are not guilty, tell them this. Hopefully, they will believe you. They will likely want to know if you are guilty because it could determine some of your ability to pay them back later. If you decide to tell those details, you need to know that they may end up having to testify, and they would have to speak truthfully.
If you need a loan then you might talk to your bank. Whether your bank would do such a loan might depend on your current income and credit. There may be special groups that help people like you, but you will need to do some research to find out what is available in your area.
Using a pro bono criminal defense attorney might be your last resort, but it does not necessarily mean you will lose. A court appointed law professional is still trained to defend you.
If you find a criminal defense attorney that you really like but cannot afford the fees, you might want to just discuss your situation with him or her and find out what they can do in the way of financing. Depending on your situation, they might be willing to give you more time to come up with the money that you would owe them.
The main thing is that you have a professional defending your case. If you get a loan from someone or a company, do not worry; just know that it will need to be paid. The most important thing is your having a fair trial and a good defense.
