Do You Need an Attorney?

Swift & McDonald offers free, confidential, initial consultations to discuss your case or your situation. We will advise you on the benefits and necessity of retaining an attorney, and help you predict what might be coming down the road.

You don’t have to be guilty of or charged with a crime to consider meeting with an attorney. Any person involved in a criminal investigation, whether a suspect, a witness, or even a victim, benefits from turning to legal representation for advice. This is an important step to protect one’s rights.

Contacting or retaining an attorney will in no way prejudice you in the eyes of law enforcement. Some clients worry that this action could make them look as if they have something to hide. Specific law enforcement protocols inform the decision of who is a suspect in a case—and those protocols do not preclude the wise use of legal services.

Hiring an attorney allows the client to be informed of his or her rights from the inception of the investigation, and to act in their own best interest, rather than against it. Early attorney participation often helps a client in clearing their name, and prevents the embarrassing—and professionally damaging—filing of erroneous charges.

As a rule of thumb, if you are asking yourself if you should call an attorney in any given situation, the answer is almost always “Yes.” If you are unsure if you need legal advice, call us, and we can help sort out these questions at no initial charge to you.