You’re facing a court-martial or a separation board, and the military is going to give you a lawyer for free. So why would you spend money, money that might be hard to come by, on a civilian military defense lawyer? It’s a fair question. The answer has nothing to do with whether JAG defense counsel are good or bad. Some of them are excellent. The answer is in the structure of the system itself, and what that structure can’t give you no matter who’s assigned to your case. Differences Between Civilian Military Defense Lawyers and JAG Defense Counsel In the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, you probably won’t get a JAG defense counsel until you receive court-martial charges or notification of a separation […]
Flat Fees and What It Costs to Hire a Civilian UCMJ Lawyer
December 2, 2025 by
Our Flat-Fee Philosophy: Why Your Defense Deserves Financial Clarity When your career, your name, and your freedom are at risk, you need the best defense you can get. If you can hire a civilian military lawyer, cost is a key factor and you deserve to know it before you call. Hourly billing punishes the people who can least afford it and pays the lawyer more for taking longer to do the same work. A flat fee paid by the stage of the case lets the lawyer focus on the work instead of tracking time. Cases move through predictable stages, and the fee for each stage should be set in advance. Gagne, Scherer & Associates is transparent about what it costs to hire our former JAGs […]
Three Steps To Take Before You Hire a Criminal Military Defense Lawyer
March 17, 2016 by
Have You Been Investigated or Charged With a Military Crime? When you are faced with an arrest for a military crime[1], it is important that you immediately work with an attorney that understands military law and the potential long-term obstacles that could come from a conviction. Many service members in your situation choose to rely on the appointed military defense counsel. Often times this occurs because the appointed attorney is paid for by the U.S. government and the accused does not wish to pay for representation. By retaining a civilian criminal defense attorney, however, you can maximize the chances of a successful outcome because you will be working with a lawyer who can allot sufficient time to your case and who will create a strategy […]
4 Questions To Ask a Military Criminal Defense Attorney
December 20, 2015 by
When military members are accused of a crime, the stakes are extremely high. For this reason, it is important for those facing a criminal case to retain the best attorney they can. Here are some questions to ask your lawyer in order to help you determine whether you lawyer will be able to adequately represent you. What is your background in military criminal defense? The body of law that applies to military criminal proceedings, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), is significantly different from the law that applies to the civilian population. In many cases, even experienced lawyers who have practiced for years in the civilian world may know little more about the UCMJ other than the fact that it exists. As a result, […]
3 Ways a Military Criminal Defense Lawyer Will Fight For Your Rights
November 23, 2015 by
As a member of the United States military, being accused of criminal misconduct is an extremely serious situation. Not only can a conviction end your military career, it can also result in the loss of your freedom and significant difficulties in obtaining employment in civilian life. It’s crucial for anyone in the military that has been accused of a crime to retain a highly experienced military lawyers. There are many ways that an attorney will defend your rights, three of which are discussed below. 1. Ensure that any investigation does not violate your constitutional rights Just because you joined the military does not mean that you have given up your constitutional rights. Military law enforcement investigations are limited by several provisions of the Bill of […]