How to Find a Reliable Criminal Defense Attorney?
A good and experienced lawyer is something that is always very important to have, regardless of the case. But when faced with criminal charges, then choosing a legal representative becomes even more important. Then the stakes are very high, as there are no small penalties when it comes to felonies.
And since most of us don’t count on ever being arrested and facing criminal charges, then we usually don’t have a single criminal defense lawyer in our directory. But if that still happens to you or someone close to you, then you embark on a hectic quest to find the best you can. It is best to invest enough time in it, but sometimes you just don’t have the time, but you have to find one as quickly as possible. So we will help you find a reliable criminal defense attorney by telling you what you need to know. Then you will be able to do this most important step for you, in the whole case, the right way. If you want to find out more useful tips you should talk to someone who does this type of job daily.
Find out if you need an attorney to represent you or just advice
While every felony and misdemeanor is a serious matter, there is still a significant difference between DUI and murder. That is why it is important that depending on whether the case is minor or not, you determine whether you need a representative or just advice.
To be able to determine, you will have to read about your case. First of all, do it to save money, because maybe you only need advice. And you know how expensive lawyers can be, so if advise is enough that will save you lots of money. If you know that you are potentially facing many years in prison or similar, then you need to hire a criminal defense lawyer who will represent you during trial. Without one, you are doomed. However, if it is something minor, it may be enough to go to only a few consultations, to know how to act in your best interest in court. You probably won’t need a lawyer for infractions.
Criminal law must be his specialty
You will always do better if you choose a lawyer who specializes in the part of the law that you currently need. So immediately ask or check on the website if criminal law is the main specialty. In case it is not, continue your search. He must constantly be involved with various criminal trials, because only then does he know all the changes in the law, how the judge reacts, and how the jury reacts. It is even best to be an expert not only for criminal law in general but for burglary, for example.
Don’t fall for movie stories, such as in the TV show The Night Of where a local attorney who finds clients at a police station wins a major case trial. Law is such a broad field that there is no man in the world who is an expert in every field of law. Let’s take for example what you can read on lawyercarl.com. Here you can read in detail what the difference is between a lawyer specializing in DWI and one who is not. This can be crucial whether you will just pay fine and have your license suspended or you will have to go to jail. And imagine if it is an even more serious crime.
You need an experienced one
This is not the time to take risks and choose a beginner to represent you. It is very possible that the rest of your life depends on the outcome of this trial, so go with an experienced one. You will easily check how experienced a lawyer is and how many cases like yours there are in your career. The higher the number of cases is, the better your chances are. We emphasize that it is important that the cases are similar to yours, because he may have 20 years of experience, but in a completely different field of law.
Public defender can be a good option
People tend to immediately eliminate the option of a public defender, because for some reason they do not trust them. If you have a lot of money, then it is certainly best to hire a private lawyer, whom you will pay a lot but will be dedicated only to your case. A public defender sometimes lacks time, but that does not mean that he is a less quality lawyer. Also, due to the large number of cases they encounter, public defenders are very experienced. And one more thing is also very important. For them, money is not the only motive, which means that their main goal is a positive outcome of the case. We say this in case you are planning to take out a loan or mortgage the house just to avoid being represented by a public defender. There is no reason to do that, but use the money for something else.
Price is not always a reflection of quality
As with anything else, in this case it does not mean that what is most expensive is for that reason best. There is usually a reason why someone is very expensive, and these are the many success cases behind him. But you also don’t have to choose the most expensive one right away, even though you have the money.
Inquire
Recommendations and reviews are very important. You will gain the best insight into someone’s practice if you already know someone who has worked with that attorney. If you don’t know anyone, then look for reviews on the Internet. It will tell you a lot about that person, for example how he treats clients, whether he is reliable and the like. You will always find only positive experiences on their website, but you should do a more detailed search.
Federal or state attorney
It is important to know whether you need a federal or state attorney. You can probably tell for yourself what the difference is. The federal is one that specializes in between the state crimes, then bankruptcies, copyright and the like. And state ones do robberies, local murders and more. It is important to know that federal crimes are much more complex than state ones, so look for an attorney accordingly.
Conclusion:
If you follow all these tips, chances are you will find exactly what you need. Another factor to consider is that the lawyer knows the local courts, prosecutors and police. This can bring you a lot of benefits. And consider whether you only need one or the whole team. Often one lawyer cannot do everything alone.
