When does a lawyer need to be hired? -

I am confused about when a lawyer needs to be hired. The quot;victimquot; is legally a minor. It is a criminal investigation the police is conducting the questioning, etc. Should a lawyer be hired to be present with the victim when questioned, and to offer legal advice?

A lawyer should be hired when the civil or criminal matter is serious enough to result in loss of money or freedom if the lawyer is not successful. Small case in point: A man gets a traffic ticket, He can either go to court by himself and plead guilty, pay a big fine and have his insurance jacked up for a loss of potentially a thousand dollars or more, or he can pay $250-$350 to have an attorney represent him, pay a lesser fine and have no points assessed against his license, due to the attorney successfully negotiating with the muncipal prosecutor. In a criminal matter, people should ALWAYS keep silent and say NOTHING until their attorney is present, and then ONLY what the attorney directs them to say.