Important Questions to Ask Before Employing A Criminal Defense Lawyer

Should you ever find yourself in a situation wherein you need a criminal defense attorney, it’s imperative to ascertain that the one you hire to represent you will be thoroughly committed to your best interest. Often, the most logical choice would appear to be a famous attorney—perhaps a name you’ve seen in the papers before—but this should not be the sole motivation behind your decision.

Prior to hiring a criminal defense attorney, law firms recommend obtaining more information about the legal professional first. This may be a tad time-consuming, but it’s a crucial process to undergo if you want to ensure the best outcome for your case. You can accomplish this by asking the right set of questions during the initial consultation.

What are the right questions to ask? A criminal defense attorney shares them below:

1. Is your law practice concentrated on criminal cases?
2. Have you had a case like mine before? What was the outcome of that case? (But don’t focus on that outcome! Your circumstances will always be different, no matter how slight, to the cases of others).
3. Will you personally be handling my case, or will you be passing it to an associate?
4. Will you be representing me in court?
5. If an associate will take over my case, what is his or her experience in handling cases like mine? How long have they been in practice and what credentials do they have that make them capable to defend or represent me?
6. How easily can I get in touch with you? Can I reach you personally or do I have to call the office first?
7. How will you keep me up to date about my case? By email? Text? Phone call?
8. What are the likely outcomes for my case and what are the legal options we could take?
9. Can you provide me an overview of the strategy you’ll use for a case like mine?
10. What are the fees that I need to prepare for?

These questions will provide a more solid idea of how your case will be handled, as well as of the results you can expect.

From the answers in the consultation provided by the criminal attorney, law firms explain that you can evaluate which among the attorneys you’ve consulted has the experience to secure your advantage in the legal proceedings, can provide you the best legal advice, is most reassuring and makes you feel comfortable, and has services that fit your budget.

After your evaluation, you will then be able to decide on the best attorney to hire and defend your case.