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Many times, when a person finds themselves charged with a crime, they tend to hire a criminal lawyer the easiest way they know how. If that means accepting the public defender or finding the first one in the phone book (or coming to see them after they’ve been charged), that’s what they do. But given the stakes (and often times they are high), shouldn’t you think a little more about that? Without proper representation in court, you may not fully understand the legal processes involved in a case, and you may not be fully aware of the options available to you.
In fact, many courts may try to get you to plead guilty one way or another before you have had a turn to seek representation. To protect your rights and successfully navigate a trial, you will need an experienced and skilled attorney. In addition to looking to see who has the best reputation, here are some questions to ask any potential attorney you are thinking of hiring.
What is your experience?
This is one of the most important pieces of information you can get from any criminal attorney. While everyone has to start somewhere, chances are you don’t want your case to be your attorney’s training ground. Finding out about experience, however, is about more than just determining how long they’ve been out of law school. It means finding out how many cases of your type they have handled. Each type of crime requires a very specific set of skills and a different type of defense. Make sure that your lawyer has the necessary weapons and skill to make your case a success.
What are your rates?
It is important that your criminal defense lawyer be very explicit when discussing how much your defense will cost. Whether they charge by the hour, by the day, or a one-time fee for the entire defense, he needs to know how much money he is expected to pay. If you are not very sure about the fee schedule ahead of time, you could easily end up in trouble when it comes to your financial situation. Lawyers aren’t cheap, so don’t be fooled into thinking you can afford more than you can afford.
Are you willing to go to trial?
Whatever your plans are for your particular case, you should know that your criminal attorney has the ability to see your case to the finish line if that is what must happen. Do not hire an attorney who only knows how to negotiate plea deals if you plan to protest her guilt. A good lawyer and a good trial lawyer are two completely different things. Having said that, they’re both kind of weird. As long as you take your time, do some research, and ask the right questions, you should be able to find someone who can represent you well.