Criminal cases are very specific. These matters are not only about money, as is the case with companies, but also about life, health and the basic human right of freedom. This, in turn, means that the motivation to obtain a favorable result in the case applies to all interested people. A good criminal attorney can greatly increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome in your case and minimize the risk of failure. Lawyer services are not subject to regionalization, so regardless of whether you are from the Tricity (Gdynia, Gdańsk, Sopot), you can use the help of a lawyer who is not from your city.
In criminal cases, acting as a lawyer I can help:
Often, a participant in criminal proceedings does not have knowledge about:
what are his rights and obligations?
what does the procedure look like and what activities will be carried out?
what can he expect and what are his possibilities?
A criminal lawyer is a person who can answer all the above questions and can manage the proceedings in such a way as to obtain the most favorable judgment for his client. A lawyer should also primarily act as an advisor, a person who presents options and recommends a specific solution and indicates what to do to achieve the recommended result. Therefore, to answer the question: yes, it is worth using the help of a lawyer in criminal cases. In this way, a participant in criminal proceedings reduces the risk of obtaining an unfavorable judgment and, in most cases, saves time and money.
Unfortunately, there is no one universal answer to the question of how much a lawyer costs in a criminal case. Everything depends primarily on:
Typically, legal advice in a criminal case costs from PLN 300, while acting as a lawyer in a specific case and representing the client, from preparatory proceedings through court proceedings, including appeal proceedings, costs much more and may amount to several thousand zlotys. Is that a lot? In real terms, certainly yes, but if you look at the fact that you can gain much more (money, freedom, time), I have no doubt which is more important.
Court costs in criminal cases depend primarily on the outcome of the criminal proceedings and what expenses have been incurred so far in the case.
In the ruling concluding the case, the court determines the amount of costs and indicates who is obliged to bear them. As a rule, court costs in criminal cases are borne by the convicted person or the State Treasury – in the event of acquittal or discontinuation of the proceedings. However, there are several exceptions to this rule, e.g. in the case of absorption discontinuation, when the accused should bear the costs. An appeal may be lodged against the decision on costs if no appeal is filed. It is therefore worth checking each time whether the court has correctly determined the costs of the proceedings.
The scope of costs in criminal cases includes: fees and expenses incurred so far by the State Treasury. When it comes to expenses, it is quite a broad catalog, which includes, for example, amounts paid to experts, witnesses, translators, delivery costs, costs of press advertisements, mediation costs, etc. As for fees, this issue is regulated by the Act on Fees in criminal cases. For example, a convict in the first instance must pay if sentenced to imprisonment:
1) up to 3 months – PLN 60,
2) up to 6 months – PLN 120,
3) up to 1 year – PLN 180,
4) up to 2 years – PLN 300,
5) up to 5 years – PLN 400,
6) up to 15 years or 25 years – PLN 600.
As for the fine, in the first instance the convict must pay 10%, but not less than PLN 30, of the fine imposed, and in the event of a fine being imposed in addition to the prison sentence – 20% of the amount of the fine imposed. The above is only an example, as the amount of fees depends on the resolution and stage of the case.
However, it is worth pointing out that the court may release the accused, prosecutor. in whole or in part from the payment of costs in a criminal case, if there are grounds for considering that paying them would be too burdensome for them due to their family situation, property and income, as well as when it is justified by considerations of equity.
There is one answer: the sooner the better. Activities that were carried out at an early stage of preparatory proceedings often constitute the boundary and framework for further proceedings in the case. Therefore, the sooner you enlist the help of a lawyer in a criminal case, the greater your chances of achieving a favorable result based on the established trial strategy.
Does this mean that a lawyer’s action at a later stage of the case makes no sense? NO. The later the defender/representative appears in the case, the worse the case, but you still increase your chances of successfully solving the problem. For example: preparing an appeal in a criminal case and pointing out procedural/material errors can improve the situation of the accused and even, in some cases, lead to his acquittal.
As I mentioned at the beginning – criminal cases do not require regionalization and the lawyer has the freedom to provide services throughout the country. The law firm I run is located in Gdynia: ul. Śląska 53B lok. B507 and in criminal cases, as a lawyer, I mainly serve clients from the Tricity (Gdynia, Gdańsk, Sopot), the so-called the small Tricity (Reda, Rumia, Wejherowo) and the surrounding area (Kościerzyna, Puck, Kartuzy). If you are from outside the Pomeranian Voivodeship – contact the office and I will be happy to help you too.
As an attorney, I try to help my clients every day, but that’s not all. Education is a very important element of my activity. For this purpose, I decided to run a series of entries “Lawyer Gdynia criminal cases”, which can be found in the “blog” tab on my website.
