Taking The Stress Out Of Hiring A Criminal Attorney

Has Your Spouse Been Arrested For A Criminal Offense? 4 Things To Consider

26 March 2019 by Jared Matthews

Being notified that your spouse has just been arrested for a criminal offense is sure to be a very devastating time for your family. While your first reaction is likely to be assuming that the charges must be a mistake and a simple explanation is all you need to get them dropped, the fact is that any criminal arrest must always be taken seriously. If have just been notified that your spouse has been arrested and is being held on a criminal charge, the following information will help you make decisions to minimize the emotional and financial damage of the arrest and help you family heal and return to normal as quickly as possible. 

Seek bond immediately

If the crime that your spouse has been charged with is a bondable offense, it is important to arrange bail as quickly as possible. Doing this has several benefits, including: 

• making it possible for your spouse to continue earning income to minimize any financial impact that may arise from the arrest
• minimizing disruption in the normal family routine for the benefit of any children living in the home
• making it easier to work on a defense strategy 

When seeking bail, make sure that your spouse is aware of any conditions of release that may apply and is willing and able to comply with all of them, including attending each mandatory court appearance. 

Hire a criminal defense attorney

Once you have made the call to arrange bail, your next action should be to hire a criminal defense attorney who has proven experience in navigating the court system in your local venue. This type of familiarity with your local court, including the judges and the prosecuting attorney, will make it much easier for your attorney to effectively assist your spouse in getting the charge dropped or reduced. In cases where it is not possible to seek dismissal of the charges, your attorney will begin working to negotiate the resolution that will best limit the damage to your spouse's reputation and the well-being of your family. 

Stay off social media 

Any criminal arrest can certainly require your spouse to defend their innocence in a court of law, but it is critically important to resist the urge to do so in the court of public opinion. While it will be tempting for both you and your spouse to defend your situation on social media, it is critically important that you avoid doing so. 

Even a simple typo or misstatement on the part of you or your spouse on a social media site could be used against you in court. Instead, choosing to avoid social media will help in limiting the type of gossip that could negatively affect your court case and your family. 

Be willing to consider compromise

While everyone accused of a crime is guaranteed the right to be tried by a jury of their peers, this route is not always the best choice. This is especially true in cases where the person who has been charged with a crime has a professional license or career they need to protect for the benefit of their family. 

Instead of a long battle in court, it can sometimes be far less financially and emotionally damaging to seek a compromise, such as pleading guilty to a reduced charge that will make it possible to continue your career. If this type of plea deal can be arranged, your attorney may also be able to help you work toward having the criminal record expunged later, after a period of good behavior. 

When a spouse or loved one has been charged with a criminal offense, your best option for helping them is to make sure they have good legal representation with the services of a qualified criminal defense attorney. There are many resources for you in this time. For example, click here for more info about criminal cases.

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