We all make mistakes in this life, but the mistakes that some of us make can end up being much more consequential than others. If you’re facing criminal charges, you likely can attest to this.
Facing charges for a criminal act can be an incredibly scary and worrying time in a person’s life. The punishment that results from these crimes can be brutal and life-altering.
You’ll need a strong criminal defense lawyer to help combat the charges against you and diminish the extent of the consequences that you might face.
If you’re currently in the hiring process for criminal lawyers, you might be unsure what to talk about. What information do you need before hopping into your case? Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to ask before bringing anyone onto your case.
1. What Options Do You Have?
This is the question that is already probably at the top of your mind, even if you hadn’t thought to ask it directly to an attorney. You’re facing a number of criminal charges head-on: what can you do?
Your attorney should be able to look at the details of your case and give you a specific answer.
An experienced criminal defense lawyer will likely have worked on cases just like yours dozens of times in the past. That means they’ll be well-equipped to know the possible outcomes of your case and how likely each of these outcomes is.
They should be able to walk you through the options you have in handling these charges. They can advise you on what the best possible course of action will be in their professional opinion.
Again, the estimation of a lawyer is not necessarily a guarantee that things will work out as actually stated. However, it can be helpful to have someone as knowledgeable as your attorney walk you through the facts when it comes to what your options actually are.
2. What Is Your Background?
Considering what we just discussed above, you can see how important it is that the attorney that you’re considering hiring has experience dealing with the kinds of charges that you yourself are currently facing.
If the attorney in question is indeed a defense lawyer but has never once handled a case that deals with the kind of charge you’re facing? That might not be a good indication that they are the right hire for your case.
The more experience an attorney has dealing with details as close to your case as possible, the better. You shouldn’t be shy about asking about this kind of thing when you sit down with an attorney and they shouldn’t be shy about informing you about their past work.
In addition to built-in experience, an attorney with a long background in this area of law will have pre-existing relationships with judges and other legal professionals. They can use these relationships to help your case along.
You should also get a sense of how often they’ve been practicing law as a whole. While a young upstart might get you a good price, it’s always better to work with someone who has been practicing for a long time.
It helps to ensure that careless mistakes won’t be made. Ensure you get someone experienced on your side, much like the attorneys at www.andrewbyrneslawgroup.com.
3. How Do You Pay?
There are a lot of different attorneys out there and not all of them have the same payment system set up. You don’t want to get surprised in a nasty way halfway through your case, so it’s important to get total clarity on how this individual expects to be paid as early as possible.
You need to know about a lawyer’s rate and fee because you simply might not be able to afford their services. The more experienced an attorney is, the more they are likely to charge for their assistance. You’ll need to strike a balance between your need for experience and your bank account.
If you’re short on cash, see if they are willing to provide a discount or offer of some kind. In some rare cases, you might find firms that are willing to do cases like yours pro bono (free!).
However, that all depends on the specifics of your case and if they align with the kind of work these firms are looking to take on.
Outside of the bottom line cost, you’ll want to ask how your attorney plans to charge. Many lawyers charge for their services by the hour and will provide an hourly rate.
Others might charge a flat fee for handling your whole case, while others will have fixed costs per service that you require.
It’s important to get clear on how your attorney intends to charge you before signing any paperwork.
4. What Is Their Workload?
Criminal defense lawyers tend to take on more than one case at a time. This isn’t unusual, but you’ll still want to be wary of it when looking for someone to hire.
The more cases an attorney is taking on at once, the less likely they’ll be to give you the kind of personalized attention you deserve.
Ask upfront what their workload is like and how much focus you’ll get as a client. Set your expectations here at the initial stage and you won’t be disappointed or frustrated later on.
Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you’re facing charges on a state or federal level, you might be worried about your future. Hiring a criminal defense lawyer can help you to get some sense of stability as you push forward against these charges. Make sure you ask some of the above questions before hiring someone to represent you.
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