Should I get a lawyer?

Should I get a lawyer? Hmmm…interesting question!
My say is this “CASE TO CASE” Basic.
Getting a lawyer is not cheap. Somewhere S$3K - S$5K for basic case. Of course if more complex, more charges. If you want to seek a lawyer consulting, it cost at least S$500 per section.
Why didn’t I get a lawyer? It’s my second time?

1st I don’t see the need
My case is straight forward. Just purely drink driving. I know I will face prison, fine and disqualified license. So whether I engage a lawyer or not make no difference.

Most of the cases, people engage lawyer because they have few charges and face more serious sentence or they have a case to flight.

The other reason is that you want the lawyer to speak to the judge so to give you shorter sentence on your sentence.

Whatever reason you felt of engaging one, it’s your call because the money comes from you. But before you do some, these are my experience:

a. To ask for postponing the sentence date
If you first appeal in the court (normally court 21) for traffic offence, you will be assisted by the staff and they will called your name and read your entire sentence. They would ask you whether you want your sentence to postpone and it’s up to you. If you want to postponed, you can do so and give reason. Normally its 4 weeks postponed but it depends on the judge to grain. I heard some can postponed 3 times without any lawyers but with valid reason. If you don’t have good reason, I don’t think the judges will grand you.

b. To ask for leniency and mercy
The judges heard thousands of request and reason every day. For one thing I am sure, the judge does hear you whether you represented by lawyer or stand by your own. They will normally announce your charges and the judge will ask you anything to say before they sentence you.

For my case, I prepared a 2 ½ page letter stated my situation because I know when I stand in court, I am lose in words. In my letter I admitted my offence and I commented my act is “selfish”. I stated down my condition like health, work, and family and finance status.

The judge did read my letter and she did say much when she was sentencing.
I remember I contacted a lawyer and was told that my case at least 4 weeks imprisonment but I ended up 2 weeks.

For this sentence, I depended on God, faith in Him and prayer.
When I was in court 21, the day I was sentence, I saw many people come with lawyers and some did not. So, I concluded that it is a personal choice to get one to defend your case and remember no one can criticize you because you have the right to defend your case.

However if your case is purely drinking driving like me as far as not involving foolish act like accident, keep your money to pay your fine so that you need not to sit extra sentence due to fine not being paid.