Message to Parents

Dear Parents,

You have spent years raising your children and teaching them right from wrong. You have planned for their future and worked hard to save for their education. You have high expectations for them. Then, you send them off to school.

For the parents of high school and college students, the teen years and the early twenties can seem like a roller coaster ride of emotions. Your kids make decisions that don’t always make sense to you, and they often shut you out when you ask questions. Then, the stuff of nightmares happens when you get a call that your high school senior or college sophomore has been arrested.

Juvenile hijinks are not looked at the way they were in previous decades. Police departments and college boards take a far more serious view of even the smallest crime. And, we all know that young people do not always make good decisions. Something that can seem to your child, or even to you, to be a very minor infraction can come with long-reaching consequences nowadays. Your child, and by extension, you, need someone to help you navigate the confusing maze that is the justice system.

Choosing a lawyer to represent your child is not an easy task. All of us promise to do our best for you, so how are you to know who to trust and who not to? How can you judge, when all you know about us is what you see on our websites?

The best response I can give is to look at each attorney’s rating, record, and reviews. I have helped hundreds of students of all ages. I am experienced in the ways of the court system, both juvenile and adult, and am familiar with the manner in which the disciplinary boards of the many colleges and universities in the Pittsburgh area run. I have the experience and the dedication to my clients that your child will need to get him, or her, the best possible outcome. I will walk you through the entire process, from beginning to end, and will lay out for you the choices you have at each step. Then, when your child goes to court, I will stand beside you to defend your rights and that of your student. I will be your mouthpiece to the court.

Initial consultations are always free, and I am available by phone or online at any time of the day or night. If you would like to meet in person, that can be arranged, as well.

College students are often hesitant to allow their parents to be brought in on their case, and that must be respected; if that happens, you can rest assured I will treat them with the utmost respect and work with them to ensure the best outcome possible for their case. If there are underlying problems, perhaps with alcohol or substance abuse or anything else, we will assist you in finding the appropriate evaluations and programs to help. Often, we can use these as leverage in the courts to get lighter sentences, or even dismissals of charges, as long as your student completes the program.

It’s vitally important that you hire legal representation as soon as your student is arrested. In most cases, waiting means it becomes a lot harder to get charges reduced or dismissed. And, never accept a plea bargain without an attorney to assist you. What you might think is a good deal, could turn out to be otherwise.

When you do hire me, or any other attorney, don’t hide any of the facts of the case. Make sure you and your child tell me everything. It’s the only way I can guarantee a smooth process. Just because something seems unimportant to you, doesn’t mean it won’t help me help your student. My team of highly trained, aggressive, and experienced attorneys and I are only a phone call away. Call us now.