What Are the Differences Between Criminal and Civil Lawyers?

Posted By The Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass || 28-Dec-2014

Attorneys specialize in various areas of the law. Some attorneys are civil lawyers. This means they represent clients who are involved with civil litigation. Unlike criminal charges, parties involved with civil litigation do not have the automatic right to legal representation; they must contract with their own attorney, rather than having one provided by the court. Civil lawyers represent both plaintiffs, those who bring a lawsuit, and defendants, or those who are accused in a lawsuit. Another difference between civil and criminal lawyers is that civil attorneys may charge their clients on a contingency fee basis, whereas criminal lawyers cannot do so legally.

Criminal defense attorneys only represent defendants who have been accused of criminal offenses, such as sex crimes or DWI. Defendants accused of criminal charges have the legal right to representation. Criminal lawyers need to meet different standards than civil lawyers to win their cases. For example, civil lawyers must prove that the defendant’s negligent actions inflicted harm on the plaintiff. In contrast, criminal attorneys do not need to prove that their clients are innocent; they only need to prove that there is sufficient doubt regarding their possible guilt.

If you have any questions about pending criminal charges against you, you can schedule a free initial consultation at the Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass. Call our criminal law firm at .