One of the only sure bets in life is this. If you ask 10 lawyers the same question, you'll probably get 10 different answers. The same is true with judges. Their job, as the neutral arbiter of an adversarial dispute, is to consider the arguments of both parties and make a fair ruling. For better or for worse, there's much more of a human element to this process than you would guess.

In Northwest Missouri, you'll find a wide range of outcomes from one county to the next - even in cases that look the same. It might not seem fair for one person to go to prison and another to get probation, but that's the reality. Trial level judges aren't bound by the precedent of other trial level judges, so the range of outcomes varies greatly. If you don't hire a lawyer who's familiar with these unique dynamics, you could be in for a real surprise. So, do yourself a favor and hire the right one the first time.