Selecting a lawyer to represent you in the court of law during a criminal case can be difficult, particularly if you have no legal experience or guidance in the matter. After all, selecting the wrong people to represent you could lead to a less-than-ideal outcome for your case, so it’s definitely a comparison that you’ll want to take your time with. With that said, here are five factors to take into consideration when choosing a criminal lawyer:
1. Local Experience
Joey Langston highlights that first and foremost, you’ll want a lawyer that has plenty of experience in the local courts. Although legal experience can be applied anywhere, a solicitor that is well-known and respected in the area is more likely to produce desirable results than an unfamiliar face. Thus, it’s best to begin your search locally by using geo-specific keywords.
2. Track Record
In addition to being known locally, a good criminal lawyer will have a consistent history of having cases end in their favour. While past results can’t guarantee future outcomes, in general, it’s a good rule of thumb to opt for a firm that’s known for winning most of their cases. Furthermore, aside from the overall performance of a lawyer, it’s also good to consider whether they have expertise representing your specific kind of case.
3. Consultation Experience
Every good firm should offer free consultations as a way to let you gauge the quality of their service and to help you get a better understanding of the laws and probable outcomes surrounding your case. During this initial session, you should be able to gauge how friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable the attorney is before going forward. Thus, it may be advisable to participate in consultations with multiple solicitors before deciding which one would be a good fit.
4. Specialty Types
Most criminal lawyers will take just about any kind of case related to criminal law, but within that field, there are a number of different case types and specialties such as robbery, manslaughter, theft/burglary, assault, drug offences, etc. Thus, it’s best to choose a lawyer that has extensive expertise handling cases that are similar to yours.
5. Quality of Advice
Finally, during every initial meeting with an attorney, you’re going to be receiving at least some guidance and advice. Generally, this will include tips on how to proceed and documentation/evidence that may be needed to support your case. Usually, you can judge the competence and personal attributes of a lawyer based on this preliminary step.
The Importance of Considering Options
Making an effort to carefully select a criminal lawyer for your case can drastically improve your chances of avoiding fines, sentences, and other forms of legal consequence and being successful. Adversely, settling for the first lawyer you talk to or a court-appointed attorney may significantly decrease your chances of seeing an optimal case outcome. As such, conducting a thorough search and comparison is always recommended for anyone who is facing serious criminal allegations.
