Cory Wilson understands that hiring a defence lawyer is expensive and often unexpected. For this reason, he offers his clients a flexible, no-interest payment plan. Each plan is individually tailored to the client’s needs and budget.

The first step in arranging a payment plan is to retain Cory Wilson. The retainer is a down-payment on services and is applied towards the final fee. Once the retainer has been made, you and Cory will discuss a suitable payment plan. Generally, the payment plan is structured so that the entire fee is paid prior to completion of the matter. Often, criminal matters take many months or even years to complete, so there can be great flexibility in payment options.

Payment plans can be arranged through automatic bank transfers, cash, VISA, Mastercard and post-dated cheques.

When charged with a criminal offence, it is highly important that you speak with a criminal defence lawyer right away. Often your first phone call is the most important because it generally means you are in custody and the police want you to give a statement. Once released, many people think that they don’t need a defence lawyer for a variety of reasons such as cost, they believe the charges are no big deal or they can just convince the judge that they are innocent. Unfortunately, the criminal justice system is a complex and difficult path to navigate. Just like you wouldn’t perform your own root canal, you shouldn’t try to defend yourself from criminal charges that can have a lifelong impact on your liberty, employment and ability to travel.

One of the most important considerations in hiring a defence lawyer is their experience representing individuals charged with the same offence as you. Not all criminal defence lawyers are made the same and it is important to ask questions about their knowledge and experience not in criminal law generally, but with respect to your specific charges. Some defence lawyers only practice in certain areas of criminal law, such as impaired driving, but claim to have significant experience in other areas. While they may have been a lawyer for 20 years, they may not have the specific experience you are looking for and need.

When choosing the right defence lawyer, it is imperative that you feel comfortable with the person you are choosing. You have to feel confident placing your life in their hands and knowing that they have your best interests in mind.

One of the biggest red flags in retaining a criminal defence lawyer is if he or she gives you a guarantee. If the lawyer guarantees they will get your charges withdrawn or win at trial, ask them to put it in writing and contingent on you paying them. If they are unwilling to do so, you know the guarantee means nothing. Unfortunately, with very rare exceptions, there are no guarantees in criminal law.

In the end, the right criminal defence lawyer is the one you feel the most comfortable working with and who can solve your problem effectively and efficiently.

Determining the cost of defending a case depends on many different factors including, but not limited to, complexity, the volume of disclosure, type of offence, length of the anticipated trial and whether it proceeds to a preliminary inquiry.

Cory Wilson knows that every client is unique and our fee and billing arrangements are structured to reflect that reality. We pride ourselves on being completely transparent so that you can focus on your defence. Our fees are reviewed with you in detail to ensure the highest level of transparency.

Our legal fees are quoted as a flat rate fixed fee. This means you know exactly what your total fee is with no surprises. Too often people complain about lawyers’ hidden fees or last-minute demands for money. With our transparent fee structure, you can be confident that the price you’re quoted is the price you will pay.

Cory Wilson accepts cash, VISA, MasterCard, debit and e-Transfers.

You want your first meeting with your defence lawyer to be as productive as possible or you may leave with more questions than answers. One of the most important things you can do is to write out a detailed narrative of everything you can remember of the incident as well as any other related information. With each passing day, your memory will get worse and it could be the little things that make all the difference in your defense. This can be a working document and when you remember more details, they can be added. When writing out the narrative, make sure to make the title “For my lawyer in contemplation of litigation.” This will help protect the statement under solicitor/client privilege should it fall into the wrong hands.

Another important step prior to meeting with your lawyer is to write out all the questions you have. Meeting with a lawyer can be a stressful time and you may forget everything you planned on asking. Your lawyer will much prefer if you are prepared with a number of questions to discuss in person rather than getting ten emails shortly after your meeting. You need to have all of your questions answered so that you can make fully-informed decisions.

If you suffered any injuries during the incident, take as many pictures as you can and provide them to your lawyer when you meet. These can be injuries caused by the complainant, witness or even the police.

Lastly, you need to bring all of the documents you received from the police when you were arrested. It is important to bring these so that no court dates are missed and you can have all of your release conditions explained to you. If you have any other documents that you believe may be of assistance to your defence, it is important to bring those with you to your meeting.