Choosing a criminal defense attorney can be tricky, but it is also very crucial so that you have the best defense in your case. Selecting the right attorney is the hardest part which most people find themselves in when they are involved in an incident involving a crime. Here is a step by step guide to help you select the best criminal defense attorney.
1. Hire a criminal defense attorney who specializes in the area of defense you need
Simply hiring an attorney is not going to be very helpful. Lawyers specialize in different areas such as family law, civil law, criminal law etc. Therefore, it is important that you hire an attorney who specializes in a particular area of criminal defense such as DUI, murder offenses, sex and drug offenses etc.
2. Hire a private lawyer
Though expensive as compared to public lawyers, private lawyers have the time and resources for individual clients. Public lawyers have hundreds of cases to deal with, so they will not be able to give you enough time and provide you with the required defense.
3. Choose the private lawyer carefully
Find details for a number of private lawyers who have specialized in the area of defense you need. Keep initial consultations with them and decide which qualities are important to you and then find those qualities in those lawyers. For example, do you want to go with experience, or you want to go with someone you are comfortable with?
4. Find references
Ask your friends and family if they know of any experienced criminal defense attorney or ask the lawyer to give you references. Talk with those clients and get their feedback.
5. Do a background check on the lawyer
Check if the lawyers you have shortlisted are registered with any legal organization. The lawyer should at least belong to the County and State Bar Associations and might also be part of other organizations like the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, or to the ABA’s Criminal Justice Section. Also check if the attorney has ever held an office in any of the organizations of which he is a member.
6. Has he earned a Martindale-Hubbell rating?
Lawyers are rated according to the Martindale-Hubbell rating, ‘AV’ being the highest rating. ‘BV’ and ‘CV’ are good ratings too. However, you should note that not all lawyers participate in Martindale-Hubbell’s directory and rating system.
7. Ask questions and discuss your case
In most cases, the initial consultation is the deciding factor for most clients whether they want to go ahead with the attorney or not. Ask questions like who will be working on your case, the attorney’s experience level, how much time will the attorney be putting in your case and so on. If you are comfortable talking to the client and have received satisfactory answers, that should be good. Also discuss your case with the lawyer and get their view points on it.
This is an informational guest blog article brought to you by Attorney Jonathan R. Sills is a partner in the criminal defense law firm of TOMEO SILLS, LLC.
The exclusive purpose of this article is educational and it is not intended as either legal advice or a general solution to any specific legal problem. Corporate offices for Nave DWI Defense Attorneys are located at 432 N. Franklin Street, Suite 80, Syracuse, NY 13204; Telephone No.: 1-866-792-7800. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney Advertising.
