Experienced attorneys know how long a case will likely take, the complexity of the matter, the amount of experience necessary to accomplish the goals of the client, and the number of court appearances that are involved. Additionally, not all attorneys are the same. The most experienced and successful attorneys tend to charge more for their services.
Sometimes, an attorney will provide discounted rates for cases they really want to work on. Other times, an attorney can provide a discount for cases that are convenient to represent. The most important thing to consider when hiring an attorney is not the cost, rather you should be considering the importance of case and the attorney’s ability to handle it successfully for you.
The attorneys at Battlefield Law Group PLLC care about you and your case. We know your future is important. We know that the circumstances which have led you to needing an attorney do not define you. Our clients get our cell phone numbers and we will communicate in the evenings and weekends. At Battlefield Law Group PLLC you are family, and we are committed to providing the highest quality services to meet your needs.
Yes, there is always a defense. In some cases, the defense is arguing a Constitutional violation or that there is insufficient evidence for a finding of guilt. In other cases, you are arguing for mitigating circumstances for a reduction or a lesser sentence. Every case is unique. Our attorneys examine every aspect of your case to determine the strengths and weaknesses of every available defense. It is important to understand that just because you are charged with a DUI/DWI in Prince William County does not mean that you are guilty of the offense.
It depends. Our attorneys or staff will text, email, and call to respond to our clients. There are times in a case when there is no new information or we are waiting on answers from opposing counsel but if our client calls for an update, we respond promptly. Clients should not be waiting in the dark hoping all is going well without any communication from the attorney.
If you are waiting for your attorney to call, you should go ahead and call them again or change lawyers. Communication is one of the most important aspects of the attorney-client relationship.
Yes, you can absolutely change attorneys from a public defender or a court-appointed attorney in Prince William County to one of our attorneys at Battlefield Law Group PLLC. You are allowed to hire a private attorney even if you were granted a court-appointed attorney or a Public Defender. It is a very simple process and done with a substitution order.
People change attorneys all the time for various reasons. These will not be seen as negative or positive on your case by the court.
This varies greatly depending on the type of charge, the complexity of the case, and the circumstances of the situation. We know that people want to get their criminal charges done and finalized as quickly as possible however, we will never recommend sacrificing quality for speed. Cases take as long as they need to take.
Typically, misdemeanor cases are completed within 6 months of the charging date. Felony charges can take months to years.
Yes, absolutely. The courts as well as prosecutors in Prince William County are very concerned about rehabilitating those who are addicted to alcohol and/or narcotics. A user of drugs like cocaine, OxyContin, heroin, Xanax, methamphetamine, or PCP will be treated much differently than the supplier or dealer of those drugs.
Often a person with drug charges for possession can detox, go through rehabilitation and treatment, successfully complete a program and get a much better outcome for their case. For someone who is charged with Distribution of Drugs, if there isn’t an underlying drug addiction, rehabilitation is not an option to use for mitigation.
Drug distribution charges are treated much more seriously than simple possession cases by the court, prosecutors and the Code of Virginia.
Yes. We work tirelessly to exceed our client’s expectations and provide quality service. We provide transparent and honest representations of our services and successes. We have never requested or published a fake review. We are too busy working for our clients to be creating anything that is not real online.
Almost daily. We have represented thousands of reckless driving cases ranging from Reckless Driving by Speed to Racing to Reckless Driving Accident with Fatality. We have handled cases involving speeds in excess of 130 mph. We have represented public officials, federal officers, attorneys, law enforcement officers, military personnel, government contractors, teachers, and security clearance holders.
No reckless driving matter is too big or too small for us to competently handle and work towards a successful result for your case.
Yes, but it depends. Reckless driving by speeding includes many different types of conduct. A person who is charged with speeding 86 mph in a 55 mph zone will have an easier time attempting to get a dismissal that someone who is going 70 mph in a 25 mph zone.
Both people will be charged under the same code section, but each case is treated differently because of the severity of the speed and the danger of the conditions present. Additionally, a person with a clean driving record for the past 5 years, at least, will have more options and opportunities for a dismissal then a person who has multiple tickets on the driving record.
Each person’s individual case needs to be reviewed by an experienced attorney who can navigate them through the likely scenarios that could be presented at court. Some cases are more likely to be dismissed than others.
The decision of whether to take a plea agreement or go to trial is always case and fact specific. This applies to all types of criminal charges, from DUI or DWI to shoplifting to murder. The decision of whether to take a case to trial or accept a potential plea agreement can only be properly evaluated after knowing all the facts and circumstances relating to your case.
We would certainly caution you against providing those details on any public forum or the internet to get the answers you want. Instead, we would encourage you to speak with your attorney in detail. If you don’t like your lawyer’s opinion or advance of the matter, seek a second opinion from a different defense attorney so it will be covered by attorney-client privilege.
We offer free initial 30 minute consultations to our criminal justice clients and can be hired for a more in-depth review of your case.
No. Police officers have broad discretion when it comes to charging for offenses committed in their presence. They can charge you for every violation they see, charge some or one of the violations or they can decide to not charge at all.
In the case of DUI/DWI, police often see this as the most serious of the offenses they see and rather than charge for the traffic violation also, they will simply use their observations of the violation as evidence to support the DUI/DWI charge. It is important to note that the officer does need a reason to pull you over, ie, traffic violation, check point or accident investigation.
If there is not a legal justification for the police encounter, then your 4th Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure might have been violated. This might be a defense for your DUI/DWI charge and could led to a dismissal.
No. This is a common misconception. Miranda warnings refer to a person’s 5th Amendment right to remain silent and not incriminate themselves. When you are under arrest, a police officer must Mirandize you, meaning warn you that you have the right to remain silent, before interrogating or asking you questions that might get you to say incriminating information.
If you were never interrogated while under arrest, then Miranda would not apply to you case. If your 5th Amendment rights were violated to could led to the exclusion of the statements you made. This might be enough to have a case dismissed but more likely, it would simply remove some of the evidence against you. Not being read Miranda is not a magic bullet for most criminal charges.
Battlefield Law Group PLLC attorney’s will happily discuss your circumstances in greater detail so you can be sure that you are informed of all you legal defenses and understand the law behind them.
In order to file a Complaint for Divorce, unless there are fault based grounds for the divorce, you will need to be separated for at least a year. However, if you and your spouse have a signed Property Settlement Agreement and there are no children born or adopted of the marriage then you can file after you have been separated for six months.
If you and your spouse do have children born or adopted of the marriage, even if you have a Property Settlement Agreement, you must wait one year from the date of your separation to file a Complaint for Divorce. If you have a Property Settlement Agreement, once all of the paperwork is turned over to the Court it generally takes six to eight weeks for the Judge to review the documents and then sign the Final Decree of Divorce.
If you are in a contested divorce matter then a trial date will be set and how far out that is depends on the Court where you filed the Complaint’s docket.
There is no such thing as filing for separation in Virginia. In Virginia separation begins when one party forms the intent to separate from their spouse and then they must carry that intention out for the statutorily prescribed time. Even if your spouse does not want a divorce or to separate, it does not matter if you have formed that intent.
The Court will generally look at behavior and actions to determine when the separation occurred. The easiest way to separate is that one party moves out of the shared residence. This creates a clear cut date that you and your spouse separated. However, oftentimes parties are not able to afford two residences and often live in the shared residence together even after they have separated.
If you are going to reside in a shared residence with your spouse after you have separated, then you will need to take steps to ensure the date of separation and that the Court will recognize the separation. Generally speaking you and your spouse would need to be sleeping in separate bedrooms, not engaging in a sexual relationship and not holding yourself out as a married couple.
You and your spouse will need to essentially live as roommates and that is it. It is always good to have a conversation in writing with your spouse, either text or email, verifying the separation and how the two of you will carry forward with things such as expenses, etc. while still living in the shared residence.
If you do not have a Court Order that addresses child custody and child visitation then you will need to file petitions in the appropriate Court. At the same time that you file your petitions for child custody and visitation you can file Motions of Pendente Lite Relief for child custody and visitation as well.
Due to the fact that Courts were backed up prior to the start of the pandemic and since then have only become more backlogged, most Courts allow for Pendente Lite Relief or Temporary Relief. Depending on if you are in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court or Circuit Court, because of a Divorce, most Courts allow for a temporary hearing to be had to establish some kind of child custody and visitation order prior to the final hearing so that you don’t have to wait months to see your child/children.
If you already have a Court Order that addresses child custody and child visitation and the other parent is not allowing you to see your child/children pursuant to the Court Order then you can file a Rule to Show Cause. A Rule to Show Cause is a Motion that is filed with the Court where your Order was entered to have the Court hold that person in Contempt of Court for violations of that Court’s Order.
In order for a person to be held in Contempt of Court for violations of the Court’s Order, you must show that the other parent willfully violated the Order of the Court.
If the Court finds that the other parent is in Contempt of Court for violations of the Court’s Order, they have a wide discretion of power as to what sanctions they may impose. The Court could award you your attorney’s fees and costs, modify custody, modify the visitation schedule, or even place the other parent in jail.