How Do You Find The Best Criminal Defense Attorney?
If you’ve been charged with a crime, you need to find a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney. But how do you know who is the best?
All you need to do is follow the tips outlined here, and you’ll find a skilled and experienced criminal defense lawyer to represent you.
Excellent Communicator
When you have criminal charges pending against you, time is short. The more time that goes by without a proper legal response, the greater the chance that you’ll lose.
That’s why you need to look for a criminal defense attorney with excellent communication skills. Their legal team should get back to you as soon as possible, no matter what your questions are.
Even better, the attorney should personally get on the phone with you often and go over the case details and any questions you have.
If it’s difficult to get ahold of your attorney time and time again, you could be in for a stressful time. You need to have someone who is on the ball and ready to help when you need it most.
Review The Legal Team
Even the best attorney doesn’t prepare for court alone. All good attorneys depend on their legal team to prepare for the case.
During your free consultation, remember to ask questions about the attorney’s legal team. This means finding out who their administrative assistants and paralegals are. Plus, you should find out about their junior associates because those folks could be the ones handling the bulk of your case.
Also, if you have the best criminal attorney in the area but she gets sick, who would step in during crunch time? Can they handle the pressure of an intense cross-examination? Meeting other members of the legal team is an important part of the evaluation process.
They’re Confident But Don’t Make Guarantees
You always want an attorney on your side who is confident and calm. If they seem sure of themselves with you, that’s probably how they will appear before the jury.
That said, you should not select an attorney who guarantees specific results. Because even if you have a strong case, you never know for sure what a judge or jury will decide. There always is a degree of uncertainty about the law and how the decisions makers will react to the evidence.
Don’t select an attorney who guarantees you will be acquitted or promises anything for certain.
Experienced With Your Charges
Hiring a criminal defense lawyer who handles DWI cases most of the time might not be ideal if you’re charged with credit card fraud. Every criminal law specialty is complicated and it changes daily.
That’s the reason you should team with an attorney who has years of proven experience in the area of the law in which you have been charged. Some attorneys are focused on violent crimes, and others work mostly on white-collar crimes.
Do your due diligence and work with an attorney who has a long record of working on cases like yours. The free consultation that most attorneys offer is the perfect opportunity to (politely) grill the lawyer about their experience in the area you need.
Also, askingquestions during the consultation helps you get to know the attorney and their personality. Personal chemistry with the attorney matters a lot. If you aren’t comfortable with your representation, this could be a problem during a case that could drag on for months.
Remember, there are lots of reviews of criminal defense attorneys online. There’s no excuse not to do a lot of research on possible attorneys so you can make the best choice.
Review References
Any top-flight criminal defense attorney will have many favorable reviews. So, talk to people you know and ask who is a good criminal defense attorney. Also, check online reviews because top attorneys should have many five-star favorable reviews on Google Reviews, Yelp, and other websites.
The attorney you choose could mean the difference between a dismissed charge and years in jail, so choose wisely.
Experienced In Your Area
If you’ve been charged with a crime in Dallas, you probably want a criminal defense lawyer with extensive experience in your area. This is one part of choosing an attorney that many defendants overlook, but it really matters!
Having a lawyer in your corner who knows many of the city’s judges and prosecutors can help you fight your criminal charge and possibly get a better result.
Every local court does things differently, and so do various judges. Having an attorney who knows the ins and outs of courts in your area can help you craft a better legal strategy.
Can Win In Court
Many criminal cases result in plea deals, but you should have a lawyer who is confident when it’s time to go to court. It always helps your case if the DA knows your lawyer can go to court and get an acquittal in difficult circumstances.
Also, take a look at the attorney’s demeanor and appearance for a clue about how they function in court. If they are impeccably dressed, speak well, and sound confident, odds are you will have a skilled advocate representing you.
However, if they look nervous, disorganized, and disheveled, they may not represent you as well in front of a jury or judge.
Offers Several Options
Your attorney should give you a few options about how to proceed optimally with your case. Of course, the legal options available depend on the nature and facts of the case.
For example, if you are charged with drunk driving, your criminal defense lawyer may recognize the DA has a weak case because of questions about why the police stopped you. Because of this possible weakness, your attorney should have options laid out about how to proceed if probable cause evidence is thrown out.
Defendants who stick to these principles when searching for a criminal defense attorney are more likely to get the best representation.