– But I just…
– Sir, the court has already made a decision. You will be placed under pre-trial detention for three months. You will be served with the decision and its justification. You have the opportunity to file an appeal…
And ladies and gentlemen… sometimes someone starts a company. The company is supposed to (describe your plan)… It seems like a great idea, "common sense." Little work, good money. What could go wrong? It absolutely could. So much could go wrong that it ends with a decision on pre-trial detention and charges.
A pre-trial detainee's stay in a penitentiary facility is one thing.
The other side is the family… A family that doesn't know how to communicate with their husband/father/brother/son/daughter/wife/sister/mother (hereinafter referred to as "he/she"). They don't even know who to ask. Obviously, at the gate, no one will be allowed into the detention center without the consent of the authority at whose disposal the inmate is. But who should they ask for permission? How do they apply for consent? What will he/she eat? What will they wear? Can we send a package? Can I deposit money with him/her? What about the medications he/she takes? What about access to the bank account from which all the payments were made and only he/she had access?
It turns out that a lawyer's role is not limited to determining defense tactics in a criminal trial. A lawyer is a fundamental source of help for the family in organizing the reality of their relationship with him/her "on the other side of the wall." These seemingly mundane matters, yet I know from experience that they are PARALYZING families.
When you are an expat or a foreign entrepreneur in Poland, this situation becomes doubly difficult. In addition to clashing with an unfamiliar legal system, you face a severe language barrier.
That is why it is always worth having the number of a Polish lawyer saved in your contacts—just in case.