Mortgage fraud is a very serious offense that could potentially land you in prison with a sentence of up to 10 years. Mortgage fraud is split into two categories: fraud for profit or fraud for housing, and although both are serious, fraud for profit is the most consequential, with higher fines and prison time. If you’ve been accused of mortgage fraud, it is always a good idea to get in touch with a mortgage fraud defense lawyer as soon as possible.
7 Reasons to Hire a Mortgage Fraud Defense Lawyer
They Deal With Cases Like Yours Every Day
Many people decide that they can handle their mortgage fraud case on their own to save money, but sadly, this often results in a much more serious outcome with higher fines or even a prison sentence. Alternatively, other people choose to hire a general practice lawyer with some knowledge of all legal fields.
However, neither of these approaches is as efficient as hiring a dedicated mortgage fraud defense lawyer to help with your case. As they handle mortgage fraud cases every day, they know everything there is to know about this field and can help you get a reasonable outcome from your case, or even get it dropped entirely.
They Can Move Quickly
Time is of the essence in legal proceedings, and so you want to move fast to get your case settled as soon as possible. As professionals, mortgage fraud defense attorneys know how to get to the bottom of the case as quickly as possible to save you from having to attend many lengthy and expensive court hearings.
They Know the Judges and the State
Although mortgage fraud is a federal crime, it is generally handled by the state unless you have committed fraud in multiple jurisdictions. Through their experience in this area, mortgage fraud attorneys in Houston will have good prior knowledge of the prosecution, their attorneys, and the judge.
Although this won’t have an effect on every case, having a working relationship with the judges and prosecution attorneys does allow your defense lawyer to analyze the situation better, such as how the judge may react to certain information. It can also lead to a generally better atmosphere, which makes for a smoother and easier court hearing.
They Understand Paperwork
Paperwork is the bane of many people’s legal proceedings. The legal world is full of unique terminology, and knowledge of previous cases and laws is essential. If you hire a mortgage fraud defense attorney, they can help you fill out and file all the difficult legal paperwork that you will need for your case.
They Can Help Obtain Evidence
Often, mortgage fraud can be very difficult to prove. It is estimated that about 10% of mortgages applications nationwide contain some wrong information, but a lot of the time, these are accidental or arise from some mistake made by your bank or house appraiser.
For this reason, it is difficult to prove that any errors on your mortgage application were made intentionally and not accidentally, and the court needs to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the errors are intentional to be able to prosecute you. Your mortgage fraud defense attorney can help obtain evidence to prove your innocence and get the case against you dropped.
They Protect Your Credit Rating
If you are found guilty of mortgage fraud, this can seriously injure your credit score, making it difficult for you to take out loans or mortgages and obtain credit cards in the future. This is why it is especially important to ensure you are not found guilty. With their wealth of experience in the field, a mortgage fraud defense attorney can keep your credit rating clean; protecting the future of you and your family.
They Save You Money and Prison Time
Despite many people assuming they can save money by handling the proceedings on their own, the opposite of this is actually often the case. Mortgage fraud is a very serious charge, and if your case is handled improperly you could end up with a massive fine or even up to 10 years in prison. Over 87% of all people charged with mortgage fraud in the US are sentenced to prison, with an average sentence of 18 months.
On the other hand, if you hire a dedicated, experienced mortgage fraud defense attorney, they can help find legal loopholes that you didn’t even know existed to get your case dropped and keep you out of prison.
These are just some of the reasons why you should hire a dedicated defense lawyer if you’ve been accused of mortgage fraud, but there are many more reasons besides these. If you ever get accused of mortgage fraud, hiring an attorney to help with your case is absolutely essential to ensure the best outcome for you and your family.
