Important tips on finding your Saskatchewan criminal defence lawyer

Choosing the right lawyer can make or break the outcome of a trial if you’re facing serious criminal charges, in cases raging from a driving offenses to drugs to manslaughter and murder.

Here’s a list of a few things to consider when determining whether or not a lawyer is a good match. While the list below can serve as a jumping off point when searching for a good fit for your legal needs, it is not an exhaustive list — every case is different.

An important note: if you are unsure of whether or not a lawyer will fit the bill or what to look for period, don’t hesitate to get in touch and ask for help, especially if time is of the essence. Our office is here to lend a hand and keep you informed on how we can best be of assistance.

Choose A Lawyer Who Specializes In Criminal Defence

Lawyers specialize in a myriad of different practice areas. You want to ensure that the lawyer you retain for your legal defence in a criminal matter is a criminal defence lawyer. That seems simple enough, but it’s important to start your search off on the right foot.

Begin by searching for criminal defence lawyers in your area. You will find a whole slew of options, but don’t be overwhelmed.

Take the time to review a law firm’s website and understand the practice areas that their office specializes in, and verify that criminal defence is available area of focus. You will want to confirm that they provide services relevant to the charges you are facing. If you’re not sure, just give them a phone call.

Meet Potential Lawyers In Person

Taking the time to do your research and find the right lawyer is critical. You have Googled, you have made phone calls, you have gathered information. Now it’s time to meet your potential lawyer face to face and dive deeper.

Many criminal defence lawyers will meet with you and provide an initial consultation at no cost. Try to get a feel for whether or not they are actually interested in providing real help, or if they are merely giving you a sales pitch.

Ask tough questions. Tough questions should encourage a good lawyer think on their feet and draw on past experience to shape an informed perspective on your unique case. If you are unsure of what questions to ask, just start there: “what should I be asking you?” or “how should I proceed in this matter?” are fine places to start.

A face to face meeting should leave you feeling confident about your lawyer, but be wary of any guarantees. An experienced lawyer will not typically promise you a certain outcome, though they can go a long way of assuaging any overwhelming concerns.

Understand How Your Lawyer Communicates

A common complaint about less than stellar lawyers of all types is that they don’t return your calls. This can be a red flag, although you’ll want to make sure you understand how your lawyer typically communicates with clients and decide whether or not that suits your needs. Will you be satisfied with email communication? Do you want your lawyer to text you to get in touch? These are things to ask about and determine what works best for you.

Criminal law is a complex subject. Your lawyer’s job is to understand it and make sense of things on your behalf. If you are concerned about having a clear understanding of your case, make sure that your lawyer is prepared to speak to you in plain English about what is happening.

Communicate Your Budget & Your Financial Expectations

When it comes to your budget, retaining the services of a criminal defence lawyer is a balance between finding high-quality legal services and not breaking your bank. Setting a budget and communicating it to your potential lawyer will help guide you to understanding whether or not you can afford their services. Even if a lawyer is at the top of their game and therefore expensive does not mean their office cannot provide you with attainable legal solutions.

Retaining the services of a competent lawyer will usually be more cost effective than losing your case, and many lawyers will want to find a way to make things work within your budget. That can involve assigning a competent colleague or junior lawyer to your case, or adjusting the scope of their work to match your needs. You may find your lawyer and their office is more flexible than you would have thought to begin with.

Don’t Panic

Take a breath. Take your time. There is no reason to get ahead of yourself or panic.

By learning how to find the best criminal defence lawyer to suit your needs, you have already taken the first steps toward addressing any criminal charges in the most impactful and responsible way.

Finding the right lawyer for you can be a time consuming process that requires a lot of thoughtful and diligent research. Don’t be afraid to lean on prospective lawyers to lay out the groundwork for how they can best provide assistance. They’ll know the best way to move forward and start tackling your case.

If you have any questions about hiring a criminal defence lawyer or if you would like to get in touch with our office, please contact us.

A look inside the typical collaborative law process

Let’s take a look at the process you will follow after agreeing to pursue a collaborative resolution to your divorce or separation.

Collaborative family lawyers are trained to find cooperative solutions that both partners agree with, focusing on both parties’ concerns, and encouraging partners to be open an honest with each other while ensuring that all legal rights and procedures are followed.

Below you’ll find a snapshot of what that might look like at a glance. This isn’t an exhaustive outline of the process as it will be adjusted and customized based on your needs and objectives.

1) Agreeing to Move Forward & Understanding The Collaborative Process

Before beginning with the collaborative resolution process, you will sign a Collaborative Law Participation Agreement. Your lawyer will review the agreement with you to make sure you understand the process and confirm that it will meet your needs.

You will also need to review and confirm any other agreements made with other professionals involved in the process, like a financial planner or family support export.

This is a client-driven process: you and your partner will decide on how to proceed forward in terms of scheduling and location of meetings, and the order in which you will address your goals and concerns.

2) Setting Your Goals & Identifying Concerns

Once the groundwork for the collaborative process is laid out, your lawyers will help both parties identify and work towards your objectives and address your concerns.

This is a critical step, and often one of the core reasons why you may choose to seek out a collaborative resolution to a divorce or separation: making sure your concerns and goals are understood and addressed in a fair fashion isn’t a guarantee in court.

You will also look at any time sensitive or pressing issues immediately, i.e. financial matters, or concerns involving your children.

3) Putting Your Cards On The Table 

Gathering and disclosing as much information as possible is the name of the game when it comes to arriving at a resolution that will suit both parties’ needs.

This includes financial statements, income statements, expenses, shared and individual property, etc.

Your lawyers will help you decide how best to gather and organize this information, and how you’ll use it as part of the Collaborative Process.

4) Planning For The Next Meeting

The collaborative process typically involves a handful of meetings. Toward the conclusion of your first full meeting, you will decide what to deal with at the next meeting. Setting the agenda early will help keep everything on track.

You will determine what both parties need to have prepared for the next meeting, and touch on what your objectives are for that specific appointment.

If you have questions about the collaborative process or would like more information on how non-adversarial divorces or separations are conducted, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Family law mediation or family law litigation? Let’s look at the differences

If your first inclination when facing a divorce or separation is “I’m going to court,” you’re certainly not alone. Traditionally, family breakdowns have been dealt with in court and tend to be viewed as an adversarial process by default — a battle between partners on matters ranging from finances to child custody.

But that’s changing. While litigation still has its place, going to court is no longer the only solution on the table when dealing with these matters. There are alternative dispute resolution methods available to you that may provide a more cost effective, timely, and positive outcome to all parties involved.

Let’s compare one of these methods, family mediation, to a divorce or separation handled in court, and break down some of the most impactful differences.

For an overview of family mediation, take a look at this article.

If you don’t fight, you can’t lose

If you deal with a divorce or separation in court, your lawyer’s job is to support you and try to “win.” But what if you don’t? This adversarial and often hostile approach doesn’t guarantee a win. If a judge doesn’t make a decision in your favour, you stand to lose more than you bargained for.

In contrast, mediation emphasizes working towards a balanced solution for both sides of a dispute. Lawyers involved in mediation will help their clients to come up with a cooperative approach that will ultimately benefit both parties — instead of leaving one high and dry.

Making sure your voice is heard

Mediation allows you to have a voice in the decision-making process, instead of leaving the final say up to a judge who is not intimately involved in your divorce or separation.

With the help of a mediator in a non-adversarial, controlled environment, both parties will work together to make sure their individual concerns are addressed fairly.

An experienced mediator will know how to help you prioritize important issues and work towards resolutions based on your desired outcome, not simply what a judge decides is best for you.

Don’t drag it out

Resolving a divorce or separation in court can be an excruciatingly lengthy process. If the courts are excessively backlogged, litigation can take years.

While mediation doesn’t happen over night, on average the process is significantly faster than going through the courts.

This alone can be reason enough to seek out alternative dispute resolution. Time is important to everyone — if you can speed up this process and get better results, you’ll be less stressed and less worried about the outcome.

The cost

Last but not least: the financial element.

When engaging in litigation in court to resolve a divorce or separation, the costs involved in starting an action, preparing a case, and all other elements can pile up incredibly quickly.

Taking advantage of family mediation can save both parties money.

Thinking about separation and divorce differently through collaboration

The Collaborative Process is an alternative way to approach divorce or separation, focusing on non-adversarial dispute resolution outside of court.

There are many reasons to deal with the legal issues arising from a separation outside of court. Read on for a few of the most frequent and compelling reasons to engage a Collaboratively-trained lawyer to help.

1) Parenting and Putting the Children First

Using the Collaborative Process can often allow parents going through separation or divorce to come to agreements that better suit the interests of their children without the stress or emotional difficulties of a “win-lose” battle in court.

With the help of Collaboratively-trained lawyers, and other professionals as appropriate, clients choose their goals for themselves, together. When children are involved, this non-confrontational approach can provide better tools to put their needs front-and-centre.

2) Financial Fairness

Instead of a drag-out battle in court where one or both sides of the divorce or separation may have decisions made for them by a judge that they don’t agree with, the Collaborative Process allows clients establish their priorities and resolutions for themselves.

A Collaboratively-trained lawyer has years of training and expertise in all matters related to potential issues that may arise, including financial matters. They will help you figure out the best course of action to navigate how you’ll handle money and assets moving forward, providing a framework for a solution that is amicable to all parties — not just one lucky “winner.” The Collaborative Process can also involve a Collaboratively-trained Financial Specialist to assist with this process and to help the parties understand the long-term impact of their options and choices.

3) Stress and Speed

Handling a divorce or separation through the Collaborative Process can speed up the process of resolving all the issues that may arise in comparison to dealing with the courts and a judge.

Life must go on: spending months dealing with stressful and expensive court proceedings can take time away from your work or children and cause a great deal of stress.

Some of that stress can be mitigated by resolving issues collaboratively, because the process can be faster and more efficient than the alternatives. And by taking a far less destructive and adversarial approach, individuals don’t have to face as much potential emotional and family turmoil in order to come to a resolution.

4) Privacy

A Collaborative approach to divorce or separation is much more sensitive to individuals’ privacy than dealing with a judge in court.

In court, private details about your relationship, your family, and your finances (among other things) can be dredged up and presented out in the open. Private information becomes ammunition to make a case for one or both parties.

The Collaborative Process helps keep you and your information private by providing a safe environment for things to be discussed between individuals and their lawyers.

5) Cost

The last (and for some, the most important) reason to consider the Collaborative Process for divorce or separation is simply the cost.

Since the Collaborative Process is often quicker than dealing with the courts, you’ll spend less on legal fees over time as compared to a number of interim court applications, pre-trial conferences, and potentially a trial. By focusing on the parties’ needs instead of on court documents, the result can be fewer billable hours in the end. Also, having other professionals, such as a Separation Coach or Financial Specialist, involved in the Collaborative Process, you can have the help of the right professional at the right time, as compared to requiring your lawyer to handle every detail.

Our priority is to help you find the most appropriate, efficient, cost-effective, and satisfying solution to what is almost always a stressful situation.

Need a criminal defence lawyer in Saskatoon? Here are some tips

First: don’t panic.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need the help of a criminal defence lawyer in Saskatoon or elsewhere in Saskatchewan... take a breath. We’re here to help.

From driving offenses to drug charges, criminal negligence, and more serious crimes; read on for five reasons why consulting with a criminal defence lawyer can help your case and help you successfully navigate the law.

1) Timing Is Everything

If you find yourself in legal trouble — after you’ve taken that first breath — it’s time to act.

A quick response to the police or the courts directly from your lawyer can make a world of difference in determining the outcome of your case.

Lawyers are trained to know the best way to deal with criminal charges — from who to talk to and how to reach them, to what specific language to use when addressing police or the courts to protect you. And they won’t hesitate to take quick action on your behalf in order to mitigate consequences right off the bat.

Getting in touch with a criminal defense lawyer as soon as you find yourself in potential legal trouble sets the stage for how the rest of the process will play out, and can make all the difference when stress levels are high and the clock is ticking.

2) Protecting Your Rights

It is not always clear what your rights are when you are charged with a criminal offence.

Consulting with a criminal defence lawyer can shed light on what rights you have and ensure that they are protected.

3) Expertise & Understanding

Navigating your case by yourself is usually asking for trouble.

Criminal defence lawyers have been educated and trained to know the intricate and often confusing ins-and-outs of the law and the justice system.

Knowing that you have an expert in your corner to help you navigate whatever comes your way can be a huge asset and relief.

You don’t need to rely on your own wits when it comes to dealing with criminal charges: you can trust a good criminal defence lawyer to look after you.

4) It Never Hurts to Have Help - Or Even Just to Ask

Consultations with criminal defence lawyers are often free. Even a quick phone call with a lawyer to determine what the next steps you should take when facing a criminal charge can have a significant impact on the outcome of your case.

When in doubt, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Experienced lawyers have seen it all — and it’s their job to use that experience to help you, especially if you’re not sure what to do.

5) A Clean Record

Your criminal record can have a significant impact on your life. It can mean the difference between getting a job or not, and determine whether or not you are eligible for public housing and government assistance.

It is often difficult to wipe the slate clean later on, so keeping your criminal record clean from the outset is a priority. That said, a criminal defence lawyer knows how to assist in expunging your criminal record should you face charges.

How family mediation in Saskatoon can help you

Family Mediation is a non-adversarial, cooperative decision-making process in which a qualified and impartial third party, the mediator, assists participants to resolve and settle privately and by agreement the issues arising from their separation or marital breakdown.  It is a mutual process which can only take place when both parties are willing to engage in the process.

Mediation is generally a quicker and less expensive process then engaging in litigation.  It allows the parties to deal with both legal and non-legal issues in a more holistic manner than the adversarial system.  The parties control the outcome rather than having a judge impose arbitrary measures upon them, and more creative solutions can thus be achieved.

The mediator creates a safe environment for settlement discussions, assisting the parties with identifying the issues and potential resolutions, and keeping discussions focussed on the agreed upon issues.  Having an experienced family lawyer as your mediator is invaluable; although we cannot give legal advice to the parties, years of experience in family law assists in directing the mediation and ensuring the parties are focussed on the issues and working towards viable resolutions. Where necessary, an experienced family lawyer as mediator can easily identify issues that the parties may want to get independent legal advice on.

In order to remain impartial, at Mokuruk & Woods we do not meet with mediation clients on an individual basis.  Clients seeking mediation book an appointment to attend together to meet with the mediator.  At the initial appointment, the mediator will explain the mediation process, discuss their role in the process and address the issue of fees.

If both parties have agreed to proceed with mediation, and you would like to book an appointment with a mediator, please contact Karina Jackson’s assistant, Amy, at (306) 955-9610 or amy@woodslawoffice.ca.

Collaborative Process: An Overview

Collaborative Process is non-adversarial approach to helping individuals work through the issues arising from separation and divorce. The Collaborative Process is client-focused, allowing individuals to decide what issues they need to address and to work towards constructive solutions without going to court.

In the Collaborative Process, the role of the lawyer is to be the client’s advocate and to help the client identify key issues, gather and exchange information, and communicate in a productive way. In addition to both client’s collaboratively-trained lawyers, additional professionals, such as separation coaches or financial neutrals, can become part of the collaborative team to assist parties to communicate effectively and to solve their issues, with a focus on reaching cost-effective and sustainable solutions.

The Collaborative Process is different than other negotiation processes. In the Collaborative Process, the lawyers, other professionals, and clients all sign a participation agreement a setting out the expectations about how they will work together. One of these shared expectations is that the parties will stay out of Court while trying to resolve their issues. By signing this agreement, the lawyers and other professionals are disqualified from assisting the parties in the event the matter proceeds to Court.

By agreeing to stay out of Court, Collaborative family law cases are able to avoid the positional, adversarial, win-lose tone that negotiations can otherwise take. Instead, people involved in the Collaborative Process can talk about what everyone needs, including children if applicable, and how best to address those needs.

In the Collaborative Process, the parties’ choices – not court rules and procedures – influence the process, the costs, the amount of time, and the steps involved in reaching a lasting agreement.

For more information about the Collaborative Process, including Q&As and full descriptions of the separation coach and financial neutral’s roles, you can visit https://collabsask.com/.