It is not necessary to entail the services of a lawyer for petty problems in life like buying a house or making ends to pay bills. However, the services of a criminal lawyer is very much required if you are charged with driving under the influence, some assault or perhaps some other crime. The reason you will have to hire a criminal lawyer is to ensure that your legal rights are protected throughout the legal processes.
So if you do need a criminal lawyer, the best thing to do first would be to consult with your family and friends on finding the best lawyer. Personal recommendations are always true and can be trusted; especially if the recommendation is from a close person. However, if you find that it is rather difficult to get a personal recommendation, you could consult the local bar association or perhaps an internet site for lawyers. The internet provides all the details required to know about individual lawyers. Through the internet, you can find the level of expertise the criminal lawyer has in criminal law, if the lawyer has a good repute in the bar, all biographical information related to the lawyer and all other related facts. For additional information on the lawyer, you could also read the online archives of the newspapers in your area to find out about the cases that the particular criminal lawyer has tried. This is because it is always better hiring the criminal lawyer that has sufficient expertise in criminal law when handling your case. It does not matter if your case is a traffic offense, a white collar crime or a drug crime, the more experience the lawyer has; the better it is for you.
When contacting the lawyer’s office, don’t be disheartened if the lawyer is too busy to immediately attend to your needs. This is a positive sign on the caliber of the criminal lawyer. The better the lawyer’s staff handles your calls, the more confident you can be of the professionalism of the lawyer.
All criminal lawyers usually charge by the hour; however there are some who may charge a flat fee up front. Lawyers are actually barred from charging any contingency fees for a criminal case. However, since legal fees usually differ amongst lawyers, you have to do some comparisons. The better lawyers charge more; but when your freedom and reputation are at stake it is worth hiring the best criminal lawyer.
It is always better to choose the criminal lawyer that has a good contact with the prosecuting attorney of your county and is affiliated with groups like the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. With such good relations, your case is certainly enhanced as it proves that the lawyer is ardent in learning about all new developments in criminal law. You could also ask for references of the criminal lawyer before hiring. With this, you know how previous clients consider his services. The brochure of the law firm also gives you an idea of the caliber of the criminal lawyer. Getting a copy of the lawyer’s retainer agreement will enlighten you of any up-front costs there may be.’
Whichever criminal lawyer you choose, you should be comfortable with the lawyer so that the lawyer can understand your case better and thus work better with you. It is worth paying the criminal lawyer his huge fees for the success of your case.
