If you are in the market for a criminal defense attorney, there are several important factors to consider. As criminal charges can lead to serious repercussions, you will want to know you are in the best possible hands when you turn up in court to defend yourself. In order to determine the best possible criminal defense lawyer for your case, evaluate your particular case.
What have you been charged with? You will want to find representation with extensive experience in charges like the ones you are facing. For example, if you are facing a DUI, find yourself a lawyer who has seen their share of DUI cases. If you are facing more serious charges and possibly putting your life in the hands of your defense team, you will undoubtedly want to find a team with the strongest possible background with a track record that will seemingly work in your favor. Interview a number of legal experts and find out what sort of cases they have handled in the past and how long they have been working as a lawyer. If a lawyer has worked as a public defender in the past, consider this a huge plus because this is just the sort of courtroom experience that may make for a great criminal defense attorney.
Remember that just because a lawyer has been involved in a great number of courtroom cases does not necessarily mean that they have won as many cases. A good track record means that an attorney has cleared charges for a good amount of clients. Ask your potential legal expert about the particular results of their cases, and feel out their ability to win or obtain a plea bargain. Now may not be the time to count your coupons and if your freedom is at stake, money is probably not the biggest issue on your mind anyway. However, it is important to grasp the average costs of a local legal team, which can be accomplished with a free consultation or by calling a number of attorneys to request rate and fee information.
When interviewing those who could be representing you in court, evaluate their availability and professionalism by inquiring how many cases they are handling at the moment and how much personal contact they plan to keep with you. Notice how long it took for an office to return your phone call and observe the state of that office when you visit. Look to see whether an attorney works with associates or paralegals, and make sure that he or she has both the time and resources to attend to your case properly.
Review an attorney’s reputation by performing searches on sites like Martindale.com. If you do not happen to have any personal contacts that can vouch for a lawyer, ask for references from past or current clients. Find out whether an attorney holds leadership positions or belongs to prestigious professional organizations. Consider what is right for you personally, if there is something about a particular legal counselor you just do not like, do not plan to work with him. You may be working with your lawyer for quite a while, so you will want to select someone who makes you feel completely comfortable.
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