There are a lot of different law firms out there and you need to make sure you take your time to choose the best possible one so that you get out of harm’s way as far as the law is concerned. When choosing a criminal defense law firm to represent you, you should always take advantage of as many free consultations as you can to get a feel for the lawyers at each firm and ask lots of questions so that you can make the best possible decision for your representation.
Every lawyer has a specialty. Some specialize in divorce, others specialize in injuries. When you’ve been charged with a crime, you need to focus on a finding a criminal defense law firm to offer you the best chance of not being convicted. More importantly than just finding a criminal defense lawyer, though, you need to see what crimes they specialize in. Sex crimes, murder, grand theft and various other crimes are specialized in. Whatever you’ve been charged with, focus on a lawyer with experience in it.
Next, you need to see how well a lawyer has done in terms of winning cases. Every criminal defense law firm keeps track of their statistics as far as how many cases they’ve represented and how many of those they’ve won. Any reputable law firm will be more than happy to disclose this number to you because they are proud of it. The higher the number, the better chance you have of getting the same quality work. If a lawyer doesn’t share this number with you, it could mean inexperience, which isn’t something you want to deal with.
You should also meet with the lawyers of the criminal defense law firm to see if you connect well with them. You don’t want to meet your lawyer for the first time and decide that you don’t feel comfortable with him or her. You need to disclose a lot of personal details to your lawyer, which means trust and feeling at ease are crucial.
Find out how many other cases your criminal defense law firm has going on. Too many other cases could detract their attention from yours, which means they aren’t focusing as much attention as they should on yours. This could be very dangerous because you need as much time on your case to ensure that your character is represented in the courtroom and proof is found by your lawyers that you didn’t commit the crime you were accused of.
Finally, you need to find out what the criminal defense law firm is going to charge you for their services. This could be a flat fee or by the hour. It’s not like personal injury lawyers where you only pay if they win your case because there is no money to be awarded in a criminal defense case. The best lawyers cost more for a reason – they have a proven track record of winning. Hire the best lawyer that you can afford for the best outcome in the courtroom.