Can a Greensboro defense attorney help you if you cannot pay a monetary obligation in a criminal case? Yes! When charged with any kind of criminal offense, one of the biggest worries that clients have is how much money it will cost them in the long-run. Sometimes, clients may be charged with an offense that will cost them more than they can afford. If you are concerned that a criminal charge may be more than you can afford, it’s important that you consult a criminal defense lawyer so you can weigh all of your options. In some cases, the court may be required to consider your financial situation before imposing restitution.
For example, at a hearing where the issue is the defendant’s nonpayment of the monetary obligation, a judge is required to consider the defendant’s ability to pay before incarcerating them for not paying. Therefore, the defendant should have an opportunity to show that they were unable to pay, and that they made a good-faith effort to obtain what was necessary for payment. In this situation, the court may weigh multiple factors when taking into consideration the ability of the defendant to pay. One of the biggest factors will be the defendant’s income.
They may evaluate this by comparing the defendant’s income to the federal poverty guidelines.
Of course, this is not the only thing the courts look at when considering the defendant’s inability to pay. For example, they may consider the expenses of the defendant, their obligation to support dependents, or whether the defendant is a full or part-time student.
For a complete list of factors the court may take into consideration when evaluating the defendant’s ability to pay their monetary obligations to the court in a criminal case, you should contact a Greensboro criminal defense attorney today! The criminal defense attorneys at Garrett, Walker, Aycoth and Olson know the requirements of the law and also genuinely care about each and every case presented by their clients. Call at 336-379-0539; we are here to help!