It’s not every day that people encounter someone else getting arrested. Given this, it can be a shock to find out that your loved one is arrested. You may have the impulse to panic and do something that may put both of you in trouble. However, it will be best for you to learn how to handle the situation appropriately. Here are some pointers that you’d do well to keep in mind.
Think Before Assisting
Before you get to do anything on impulse, you should first keep calm and think matters through. Your family member is in need, yes, but how should you help, if ever? It would be best to get to know what happened first before you decide to assist them. Also, if you’re going to post bail, then do it through a bondsman than pay for it yourself. That’s because if ever your family member runs after you’ve done the latter, you’ll have to take responsibility instead.
Call a Lawyer for Help
When you have gotten over the initial shock, or even while it’s all happening, it’s best to call a lawyer for assistance. They will make sure that you and your family member don’t get yourselves in further trouble. Also, they can represent your relative if ever they have to go to court for trial. A lawyer will be able to guide both of you in every step of the legal process. If your family has its own attorney, then all the better.
Support in the Right Way
If you still want to help the case, then there are ways for you to show support. One of them is gathering notes on everything that has happened before the trial. If you are involved in the case, then you can provide pieces of evidence and testimony. Your relative may need emotional and moral support during the whole event, so if you’re allowed, you can serve as a companion when they have to appear. However, it would be wise for you to stay neutral until everything is over.
Ready Yourself for the Result
There is only so much you can do while you’re only mostly witnessing the whole string of events unfold. Aside from doing the small tasks to support your family member, it would be best if you also kept yourself emotionally ready for what happens. If you’re the one accompanying them, then you should also try to be strong for them. Of course, it helps to seek support from your other relatives and friends as well. It is a time when you should all be there for each other.
While you may want to be there for your family member no matter what they did, it’s still best to be neutral for the time being. It will keep you calm and able to reason, minimizing the chance that you’ll make more trouble for your relative. In the end, justice should still prevail, and you have to be ready to accept the consequences that may result from their actions.