What are the risks of waiting too long to get legal advice?

00:00The risks of waiting too long to get legal advice in a criminal case are vast. It can seriously harm your defense. So a lot of those key risks include self-incrimination. So you may say something to the police even before a case is filed that can and will be used against you once your case is filed. So having an attorney early on really helps prevent that. You'll have missed opportunities, an attorney can prevent or reduce charges if they're involved early. So oftentimes we can go and have discussions with the filing deputies even before a case is filed in court and you have to appear for arraignment. You can have bail problems. You could miss a chance to argue for lower bail or for release. You'll have weak negotiations. So delaying counsel can reduce leverage in your plea discussions. You can have missed deadlines. So for example, you failed to file motions or requests on time with the court because you delayed getting an attorney. So now you've waived that important right. It can have potentially harsher sentencing, meaning early legal strategies can help reduce your penalties later when you're being sentenced in your case. That's the entire job of a criminal defense attorney is to mitigate any way they can what outcome your case is going to have. So the bottom line is the earlier you get legal advice in a criminal case, the more options and protections that you will have later.