It is surprisingly easy to be accused of a crime, especially that known as a white-collar crime. These accusations can cause untold mental stress and result in serious consequences for individuals and businesses. If you’re facing charges involving fraud or deception, you should contact a white-collar crime lawyer without delay. They can help you cope with this situation and advocate for the best possible outcome.
5 Reasons to Hire a White-Collar Crime Lawyer
1. Benefit from Personalized Solutions
Just as no two people are alike, no two legal cases are the same. Every client presents a unique set of circumstances that needs to be critically analyzed. The evidence obtained from a white-collar case can be especially subtle and often exists in digital form, which is vastly different from physical evidence like DNA or weapons. Other evidence from a white-collar crime may include:
- Patient medical records
- Copies of insurance claims
- Witness statements
A criminal lawyer can review the specific evidence in your case and build a plausible defense around it. Likewise, the lawyer you choose will be adept at digesting complicated facts and poking holes in the prosecutor’s arguments. With these skills in hand, an attorney can craft a personalized strategy that meets your needs, irrespective of any other case they’re working on.
2. Receive Help in Controlling Tempers
An experienced white-collar crime lawyer will not only protect your legal interests but also serve as a mediator between you and the plaintiff. Tempers can flare in any legal case but tend to run exceptionally high when a plaintiff has lost assets, as often happens in white-collar cases. The plaintiff may feel violated, while the defendant may feel wrongly treated.
These emotions are both understandable and expected, which is why an experienced lawyer will calmly argue on your behalf. This keeps you from making a statement that may hurt your case and maintains an air of professionalism in all legal proceedings. When you and your lawyer act in a respectful manner to the plaintiff and before the court, you help encourage a more favorable outcome for your case.
3. Gain Access to a Professional Network
It often seems the accuser in a white-collar crime has the upper hand, thanks to a wall of intimidating lawyers, comprehensive knowledge of the law, and relentless motivation. It can be hard during this time to protect yourself against feelings of anger, anxiety, and depression. A professional legal group, however, can provide the corresponding knowledge and resources for your case.
In addition to skilled attorneys, your legal team should be comprised of investigators, forensic accountants, and other expert witnesses who can support your defense strategy. Their goals are to protect your rights, advocate on your behalf, and help you move past this incident as quickly as possible. You don’t have to navigate the legal process by yourself; an experienced team can stand by your side and provide the support you need.
4. Profit from Early Negotiations
Many white-collar cases can be settled without a jury trial. For your own situation, an attorney may be able to negotiate a balanced settlement that reduces or erases the risk of jail and decreases any financial penalties you face. In a best-case scenario, your attorney may negotiate even more favorable terms in exchange for your cooperation with prosecutors on a larger case.
Although many legal cases can be managed without a court trial, some cannot. If your case falls into the latter group, you need a legal team ready, able, and willing to go the extra mile. This means investing the time necessary to build your defense and present your case in a collected, compelling manner with language the court can grasp. In short, a white-collar lawyer can both negotiate with the prosecutorial team and deftly represent you in court.
5. Receive Diverse Representation
When people think of white-collar crimes, they often think of Ponzi schemes and embezzlement. But a number of offenses fall under the white collar umbrella, including medical fraud. Across America, federal government agents continue to make sweeping allegations regarding misuse of the health care system. Many of these cases focus on individual providers in Texas.
In fact, Houston is one of about 10 areas U.S. federal agents closely monitor for signs of medical fraud. This has nothing to do with an uptick in actual crime but rather the significant number of residents who rely on federal programs to meet their healthcare needs. A team of medical fraud defense lawyers can help you fight both civil charges and criminal punishments – and perhaps even protect the practice you’ve worked so hard to build.
A lawyer in general practice may be skilled in many aspects of the law. However, they’re unlikely to have the qualifications and experience necessary to represent you in a white-collar crime. A lawyer who practices in this specific sector can provide you with personalized solutions, serve as a mediator, and offer access to their extensive professional network. They can also negotiate early with the prosecutor and meet diverse representation needs.