Edmonton Criminal Defence Lawyers

To ensure that your consultation with the criminal lawyers here at Martin G. Schulz is as productive and informative as possible, we recommend that you bring the following documents:

• A written statement of your version of events
• All relevant paperwork and documents given to you by the court or police
• Any supporting documents, such as medical records, photographs, emails, texts, phone records, etc

During our initial consultation, the criminal lawyers at Martin G. Schulz & Associates will go through what legal options are available to you and your next steps in the criminal justice process. We also recommend that you bring a list of questions with you so our lawyers will be able to walk you through and relieve any stress or fear you may feel regarding your case.

In Alberta, police authorities may issue an arrest warrant if an individual is found to have committed an offence based on reasonable grounds. This means that an arrest could occur whenever, including in unrelated situations (e.g. highway patrol check).

A warrant for arrest can be issued based on reasons, such as the following scenarios when a charge is made:

• Failure to attend court
• Absence from fingerprinting
• Failure to comply when subpoenaed

In Canada, your criminal record will remain as is for decades on end depending on your criminal charges. While it is possible to have criminal offences removed through record suspensions after demonstrating good behaviour for a set number of years, your life will be drastically impacted the second you find yourself with a criminal offence on your record.

Regardless of an individual’s criminal history, they may find themselves experiencing the following after they’ve received a criminal record:

• Difficulties finding employment
• Inability to apply for citizenships
• Trouble moving between the Canada/US border
• Inability to volunteer with certain organizations and nonprofits
• Struggling to find or gain approval for housing, be it for rental or purchasing mortgages
• Failure or disqualification from certain educational programs and scholarships
• Unforeseen challenges during family court and being seen as an “unfit” parent or guardian due to possession of a criminal record
• Inability to obtain a professional license
• And more

Don’t let one mistake ruin your life. Book a no-obligation consultation with one of our criminal lawyers today to take the steps you need to keep your future secured and on the right path.

A retainer is a deposit that is payable to a lawyer for future legal fees that they will incur on your behalf, in pursuit of defending your case. When certain legal services are performed by the lawyer, they will be compensated through the funds provided in the retainer. In addition to the deposit, however, lawyers will also often require you to sign a retainer agreement as well. This agreement is a form of contract that will outline your working relationship with that lawyer, and may also include:

• The amount of the retainer
• The amount(s) that will be charged by the lawyer, typically either a flat or hourly rate
• How the client will communicate with the lawyer
• The scope of the legal services that will be provided by the lawyer
• Breakdown of costs and expenses anticipated by the lawyer (for example, court filing fees
• How to end the legal contract with your lawyer

Yes, all communications with your legal counsel and their staff, whether as a client or a potential client, will be subject to lawyer-client privilege. This means that these conversations cannot be used against you as evidence in court. The only exception to the lawyer-client privilege would be if communications were to include information regarding plans to commit a future crime. In that circumstance, a lawyer or their staff may be obligated to report that information to the authorities.