Like, don’t talk to cops without a lawyer present. Call your lawyer right away if the cops are at your door. etc.
I don’t even know what it means to “have a lawyer.” Are we all supposed to? Or what are regular people supposed to do? Who do I call?
Edit: I see people saying it just means to get/contact/consult a lawyer, I guess I just don’t understand how one is supposed to do that in the middle of an active situation.
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Google “lawyers near me”
Pick one
Call
Walah
It means to get a lawyer if you don’t have one (and most people don’t).
It is a good idea to know the number of a lawyer just in case, especially an accident lawyer. That’s why so many like to have catchy numbers – when you are panicking or in pain, the catchy ones are easier to remember. Personally I’ve never needed one, but do have a couple of numbers memorized, just in case. And do your research in advance, that way you aren’t trying to figure it out when you’re in a panic. Be like, “That’s who I’ll call if I ever need a lawyer.” Also, if you are being questioned and say “lawyer “, at least in the USA, they have to stop questioning you until you have one, even if it’s one they give you for free.
There is a way to always have a lawyer on standby but it usually involves paying a monthly retainer fee as well as having a chunk of cash in a retainer account that the lawyer can bill against. I’m gonna guess that very few people need this level of access to an attorney, and it’s not common. I only know because my dad is a lawyer.
It just means find a lawyer and contact them, not that you already have a lawyer.
Simply means consult a lawyer. Very few people keep a lawyer on call (called being on retainer) and pay for one to be on standby.
Just means shut up. Dont talk.
As you go through life make friends with lawyers, I have three in my phone and none of them are ‘my’ lawyer (I do have one of those because a contract, an immigration, and an estate and trust attorney are not going to argue for me in court) but most friends who went to law school but didn’t pass the bar will absolutely take your emergency call and refer someone they know to your case in the event you are detained by police.
Most people do not. I think there is some old rule or perhaps unwritten rule if a lawyer has ever given you any advice he or she is now “your lawyer”. It is just an old saying. Today, it means “get a lawyer”.
I’ve never heard legal advice of “call your lawyer”. It’s always “call a lawyer”
>Call your lawyer right away if the cops are at your door. etc
You aren’t likely to get a legal advice in minutes if the good ar at your door. The best advice there is to not let them in or answer any questions until you do get legal advice. If they have a warrant a lawyer won’t be able to stock them entering anyway, but you should get in touch with one adak. If you are arrested you have a right to legal representation
Most people do not “have a lawyer.” And many of those who do are likely referring to a lawyer they use for repeat matters like taxes or a specific kind of work or issue. Those who truly “have a lawyer” are rich and/or are in some sort of a bind and have them on retainer and that retainer is usually specified for certian types of matters. Lawyers are engaged on an as needed basis. They may not even want to take your case. So when you need one, you call around based on word of mouth and online searches. If you have used a lawyer in the past for something and liked them and trusted them you can start there but law is pretty specialized so they will likely refer you to someone else if it is not their specialty or if there is a conflict of interest.
When you’re brought before a judge or magistrate to enter a plea, at that time you have to have representation so if you don’t have a lawyer of your own and you cannot afford one they will appoint one for you. It’ll likely be a public defender from the pool or from the public defenders office.
Get one.
if you are poor and don’t have a lawyer “one will be appointed to you” and thus it means that you should keep your mouth shut except to say, “I need a court-appointed lawyer and will not answer any questions until one is provided and present.”
However, this is a quick way to get arrested but you will be assigned a public defender pretty quickly. Just might spend a few days in jail first depending on where and when you’re arrested.
Then don’t say anything and get a public defender from the court…
Get a lawyer.
If you’re not under arrest, don’t talk to the cops at all. No need for a lawyer then. If you are under arrest, they have to provide you with a lawyer if you don’t have one. That’s the only sentence you should say to the cops without the lawyer: I am invoking my right to an attorney and need the state to provide one.
When cops read your Miranda rights, the verbiage includes language that says that if you don’t have one, one will be provided to you.
Then call a few lawyers and select one.
It means to shut the fuck up until you have an attorney representing you. This is so that you do not say anything incriminating that could potentially make it worse for you. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. You might spend a few days in jail before you can see a judge and have one appointed or until you can contact and hire a private attorney.
In the middle of an active situation, just don’t talk to the cops. You are only required to give name, date of birth, and address. Don’t answer any other questions and clearly state I will not answer any questions until I’ve consulted with an attorney.
You didn’t specifically ask about it, but if they’re at your door with a search warrant, you have to let them in. There’s no such thing as waiting for an attorney for them to serve a search warrant. That being said, don’t consent to them coming inside or searching anything if they don’t have a warrant. Don’t give them your phone to look through, don’t allow them to go into any vehicles unless there’s a warrant.
If cops arrest you for something just say you want a lawyer. I don’t know because I’ve never been arrested, that they provide a public defender or let you look up somebody online.
You call A lawyer and if they agree to represent you, they’re now YOUR lawyer. That’s it.
Pick the right kind of lawyer. You don’t call an estate lawyer for criminal charges, even if you’ve been getting your will written up but if you’re in the middle of a divorce you should probably start by calling your divorce attorney (but in both those cases, you do technically already “have” a lawyer).
Lawyers like money. If you offer to provide a lawyer with enough money, they will work for you.
If you don’t have a lawyer the state may provide you a public defendant
If you can’t get a lawyer right away, you usually have the right to just tell the police to leave you alone. If the cops are at your door, ask to see their warrant and don’t open up unless they show you one. If you’re being interrogated, invoke your right to remain silent. And contact a lawyer the first chance you get.
You don’t talk to the police until you have one. Period if you can’t afford one or find one you can get one appointed after your first hearing
In a criminal matter you can request a court appointed attorney (public defender) if you can’t afford your own. If you’re going this route make sure you also decline to answer any questions the police may ask (another protected right) beyond confirming that you’ve heard and understood your Miranda Rights as read to you by the police.
you are supposed to be acquainted with a very vicious lawyer who is on standby at all times, ready to pounce.
If you are poor you can ask for a public defender.
Most people don’t have a lawyer so you would use your phone call to call your family or best friend and they would find some kind of attorney. When I was 18 my friend and I were arrested for illegal camping in Big Sur and we called our parents who found a local attorney who handled it. Got us bailed and charges eventually dropped 🤷♀️
And obviously invoke your rights and don’t say anything even if you think it exonerates you.
Seriously it depends what the cops ask. It’s a matter of judgement. Cops rang to my door asking if I heard gunshots. I said yes but initially thought it was a firework, my curtains were closed and I was over the phone with a friend. They didn’t come back. Why would have got myself in trouble immediately telling “i need to talk to my lawyer”? Which would imply I had something to do with it. It was a serious shooting btw at my neighbors but they were just doing their job asking the neighbors, not that they suspected any of them.
Then get one!
I’m also similarly confused by all the things that say to ‘contact your doctor’ or especially ‘see your doctor immediately’. Like, what if you don’t have a doctor? Most people I know don’t have a doctor. And even if you do you can’t just call them and talk to them right away, you have to make an appointment and you generally won’t get in for weeks.
Call that guy on Facebook who believes his birth certificate is actually a corporation
If you’re taken in for questioning and you ask for a lawyer, the police will have a list of lawyers who are on call, even if it’s overnight or weekends.
I worked in criminal law for a few years and one of our lawyers was on call a lot. People called all hours of the night after getting picked up on impaireds, assault, etc. He would give some some general advice over the phone, usually don’t say anything, and would often head to the station to sit in on the questioning.
So, it should be “call a lawyer”, not “your” lawyer.
Call your chiropodist instead