Why DefendOcala.com?
Selecting a criminal defense lawyer, either for yourself or a loved one, is often a stressful process. If you have never hired a criminal defense lawyer before, you are probably unsure of what to look for or what is important. You may not know what qualifications matter most or what is considered a reasonable fee. When our clients contact us, one question many people ask is “Why should we pick DefendOcala.com?"
The answer to that is very simple: Service and Value.
A Commitment to Service
Since 1998, we have served as licensed attorneys in Ocala, Florida. Some of the most common complaints people tend to have about their attorneys revolve around accessibility and communication. Having worked in industries outside the legal field, we understand the importance of providing consistent and reliable customer service. More importantly, we also bring a commitment to customer service to the legal field, working closely with our clients to make sure we consistently provide the highest level of service.
Since launching this law firm, our priority has always been to make sure our prospective clients speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. Other firms often require you to go through a receptionist or deal with a legal assistant just to set up a phone appointment to speak with a lawyer…and then wait hours or days before you actually attend the appointment. Those firms commonly pass you around like a hot potato and provide a point of contact to answer your questions or address your needs.
However, at DefendOcala.com, we make sure that an actual criminal defense attorney answers your call as often as possible. You may be surprised to learn that our attorneys, Jeffrey Higgins and Brett Kocijan, personally answer your calls. We hold ourselves to that standard because once you have been arrested, we understand that you are in the middle of an emergency. Therefore, we make it our mission to respond to that emergency and get you the care and attention you deserve as quickly as possible.
While other firms or public defenders may pass you around between paralegals and secretaries, we make sure an attorney is available to speak with you, as long as they are not in court or visiting the jail. This doesn't only refer to your first call. It relates to your initial consultation through to the completion of your case.
Think about it this way: While other lawyers may treat you like a call to be avoided, DefendOcala.com will treat you like a valued client.
Which firm would YOU trust?
A Commitment to Value
The value of criminal defense services encompasses both the cost of our service and what you receive for that money. At DefendOcala.com, there are three significant parts of our commitment to value: A) we work on fixed, flat fees, B) we offer flexible payment plans, and C) we don’t charge trial fees.
First, our fixed, flat fee lets you know precisely what our services will cost. Whether your case lasts one month or one year, our fee remains the same. We do this to provide you with financial predictability and protect you from incurring ongoing costs, which you might encounter with other lawyers. Once we agree on a fee, it is our responsibility to diligently pursue a favorable outcome for your case in a timely manner. If your case takes longer than expected, we will never ask you to pay additional attorney fees.
By offering payment plans, our goal is to work within your budget. Many other lawyers refuse to offer payment plans, or if they do, they require their fees to be paid within one to two months, typically with half due immediately and the remaining half due the following month. Any inflexibility regarding fees or payments should give you pause for concern. Before you agree to a fee with an inflexible attorney, ask yourself, “Why don’t they offer payment plans?” Are they going out of business? Do they have financial problems?"
At DefendOcala.com, we offer flexibility because, from experience, we can often predict how long your case may take to be resolved. If your case can be resolved within six months, then we can offer a six-month plan. If it could take ten months, we can provide a ten-month plan.
Through our fixed, flat fee, we also won’t surprise you with an additional trial fee at the end of your case. Some lawyers may attempt to sneak a trial fee into their fee agreement. That should be a significant red flag! The inclusion of a trial fee in a fee agreement is a strong indication that the lawyer is unwilling to take your case to trial. They may tell you that the trial fee is there to cover additional costs associated with the case going to trial, but what they should say to you is that the trial fee is there to give them an escape clause.
More specifically, what they will not tell you is that, if you cannot pay the trial fee when the time comes, they will either drop your case or bully you into taking a plea. Even worse, some lawyers could tell you to go to trial, not because a trial is in your best interest, but because they want to collect the extra cash. When you get to that point, what is your lawyer looking out for? YOUR best interests or THEIR bank account?
At DefendOcala.com, we never include trial fees in our agreements because they create an unethical conflict of interest and may ultimately deprive you of your constitutionally guaranteed right to a trial. No matter the case, our fixed, flat fee is the only fee we charge. When it comes to value, we strive to make sure you get what you pay for when partnering with our firm.
The Importance of Hiring an Experienced Local Attorney
When selecting a criminal defense attorney in Ocala, Florida, there are often several firms that promote lawyers across the state or offer fees that are significantly lower than those quoted by more local firms. Those low-value, discount law firms typically operate with a flawed business model that almost always prevents them from providing you with quality legal representation. In the end, it's their clients who suffer. Unfortunately, we often receive calls several times a month from people who have hired one of the low-value, discount firms and are unsatisfied with the service provided, and who need us to take over their case.
At these low-value, discount firms, the lawyers are often overburdened with large caseloads and unable to devote the necessary attention to each client's case. When these lawyers are spread too thin and unable to devote the proper amount of attention to their jobs, the quality of their work suffers. Ultimately, that lack of attention results in lapses in communication with their clients and their families, as well as poor outcomes in court.
Our Commitment to Providing the Strongest Legal Representation
At DefendOcala.com, we strive to enhance the value and services we provide by making sure every case receives the necessary attention. Apart from our reasonable fees and payment plans, our commitment to our clients enables us to provide platinum-level representation throughout the duration of your case.
We are sure of that value due to our own commitment to DefendOcala.com. Since starting this firm in 2019, we have personally logged thousands of miles driving between courthouses, spent hundreds of hours sitting in courtrooms protecting the rights of our clients, and devoted countless nights and weekends to texting or speaking with our clients and their loved ones, all in the interest of providing impeccable legal representation.
Through our other offices in Daytona and Orlando, we have taken on additional attorneys to work under our banner. Knowing the effort and dedication it took to build our stellar reputation, we could only bring on the best, most dedicated attorneys. After all, we couldn’t trust our reputation with just any attorney. That is why we insisted on personally identifying and recruiting each attorney who works with DefendOcala.com, DaytonaDefense.com, and OrlandoDefense.com.
Each attorney with our firm has been selected because we have seen their work, we trust their skills, and we know that we could trust them with our own court cases. Since we can trust them with what is important to US, we know we can trust them with what is important to YOU.
Unparalleled service. Unparalleled value. THAT is DefendOcala.com.
We’ve got your back.