Law

3 Things Worth Looking For When You Hire A Criminal Defense Lawyer

If the police arrest you and say you committed a crime, that might shock you. Maybe you contend that you didn’t commit the crime. Perhaps you think it’s a case of mistaken identity.

No matter whether you committed the crime or not, if you plead not guilty, you will need to hire a great criminal defense attorney who can help you go through the long and challenging defense process. Only if you can successfully prove your innocence, with your attorney’s help, can you reclaim your former life.

We’ll discuss three things you should look for as you figure out which criminal defense attorney should represent you.

Have They Had Experience With These Cases Before?

When you meet with a criminal defense attorney and tell them what happened, you should ask them whether they’ve had experience with cases like this before. They can only help you mitigate potential penalties and consequences if they know about these cases, and they have a track record of getting clients off who faced similar charges.

If they had similar cases, you can ask them if they got their clients off or how they ended up. If the lawyer says that their prior clients wound up behind bars, you might go with someone else instead. You have your life on the line, and if your lawyer fails, you might face some serious jail time, depending on what charges the police brought against you.

How Much Will They Charge?

Hiring a criminal defense attorney isn’t like hiring a personal injury lawyer if you’re suing an individual or entity that harmed you. In that case, you can usually pay them via a contingency payment plan.

With criminal defense attorneys, you will either pay them an hourly fee, or some might offer you a flat rate. Either way, you must know how much they expect.

The better criminal defense attorneys charge more. That’s because they have proven track records. If the price per hour or for the case that the attorney mentions seems too high, then you might find another option.

Keep in mind, though, that if you’re facing some serious jail time, you may try to find a way that you can pay their fee. You don’t want to spend that money, but if they keep you out of jail, maybe you feel it’s worth it.

What Kind Of Feedback Do They Have?

You should also research this lawyer or law firm. They may tell you they’ve had success with previous cases, but what kind of online feedback can you find?

If you see that many former clients gave this lawyer or law firm five-star reviews, you should feel better about hiring them. If you see many former clients who didn’t like this lawyer, then you might choose a different attorney or firm.

Ensure you get a lawyer who gives you the best chance at trial. If you choose wrong, you might find yourself behind bars.