Whatever type of crime you’re charged with, you need to ensure you hire an experienced, knowledgeable, and understanding criminal defense lawyer to help you attain the best possible outcome for your case.
But before you sign a contract with an attorney, it’s essential that you know what to look for in a good lawyer.
Hiring a Good Criminal Defense Lawyer
In order to hire a good criminal defense lawyer, you need to ensure you look at the upcoming four important things, but first: a quick word about hiring a good lawyer for your specific case.
You could be charged with a misdemeanor or a felony. Whatever type of crime you are accused of, you need to find a criminal defense lawyer who has experience dealing with that exact crime.
You could be accused of shoplifting, drug charges, assault, weapons offenses, or domestic violence, to name just a few examples.
Also, you need to make sure that the attorney you select to represent you is located nearby. When you need to speak to your lawyer in person, it’s much easier when he or she is in your locality.
So, for instance, if you’re charged with theft and you live in New Jersey, look for NJ criminal lawyers who have experience in theft cases.
Besides location and relevant experience in your type of case, you should also look for the following four things when hiring a criminal defense attorney.
1.The Attorney Has a Wealth of Experience and a High Success Rate
You not only need to find an attorney with experience in your type of criminal case. You also need to ensure the lawyer has years of experience in general criminal law.
Quite simply, the more experience your lawyer has, the surer you can be that you’re in safe hands.
Before you hire a criminal defense lawyer, ask about how much experience he or she has. You should also ask about the lawyer’s success rate of winning cases.
2.The Attorney Comes Recommended
If you know anyone who has hired a criminal defense attorney before, ask if a certain lawyer comes recommended.
Regardless, whenever you consider hiring an attorney, spend some time looking at online reviews to find out just how much others recommend or don’t recommend a lawyer.
Just like looking for a good electrician or energy provider, you need to shop around and look at reviews to help you determine which criminal defense attorney is the best person for the job.
3.Your Attorney Needs to Be Proactive and Accessible
When you’re charged with a crime, time is of the essence. You need to make sure the attorney you hire is proactive and will start on your case immediately.
A proactive attorney will ensure your case is handled thoroughly and no crucial details are missed out by asking you lots of questions to get the facts straight.
The criminal procedure can be confusing and stressful, so you need to ensure your attorney understands what you’re going through and is accessible at every step of the way.
4.The Attorney Is Upfront About Fees
Before you hire a criminal defense attorney, you need to be clear about the lawyer’s fee structure.
Reputable attorneys are always upfront about their fees. That means you know how fees are charged and when you need to pay them, and you have a ballpark idea of how much you can expect to pay.
You must get a written contract in place between you and the lawyer, which will include a fee agreement, to ensure your lawyer doesn’t charge you more than was initially discussed.
