5 Tips for Choosing a Criminal Defense Attorney

When you’ve been arrested or charged with a crime, choosing your criminal defense attorney is an important decision that can have a lasting impact on the outcome of your situation.

Regardless of how serious the offense, it’s always a good idea to consult with an attorney. There are a lot of law firms and solo attorneys that handle cases like yours, so it’s essential to know how to choose the right one.

Here are five tips to navigating the process of choosing a criminal defense attorney to represent your case.

Book a Consultation to See if There’s a Good Fit

You always want to meet with lawyers in person before making a decision. This will help you determine whether or not you are a good fit for each other. It’s essential to establish a good personality fit on top of a professional fit because this person is going to get to know you very well, and you want to make sure that you both have a mutual understanding of what is to come. You also need to be able to trust your lawyer with very sensitive information, so booking an in-person meeting can help determine if it will be a good working relationship. Many law firms, including Christoper T. Gore – Attorney at Law, offer free consultations to get to know you and your unique situation.

Ask Important Questions

When choosing a criminal lawyer, you need to make sure the firm can meet all of your needs. Prepare yourself with questions ahead of time to ask the attorney or group of attorneys that you are meeting with. Include questions about what areas they frequently practice in, their experience level, and their experience handling cases that are similar to yours.

Make Sure They Have Knowledge of Local Laws

You may want to hire a lawyer from a big city or a lawyer that has a lot of experience, but if they don’t have experience dealing in your specific area, they might not have the most up to date knowledge on local codes and laws. Even small towns can have their own specific legalities, and it’s important for your attorney to be well-versed in the local information.

Confirm Who Will Handle Your Case

If you are working with an attorney who has a solo practice, then you know for sure who is going to be handling your case on a day-to-day basis. This isn’t the case if you hire a law firm with multiple attorneys or partners. When working with a firm, make sure you specifically ask which attorneys are going to be handling your case, and who will be your main point of contact. With larger firms, it’s not uncommon for your case to be worked on by multiple attorney’s or passed around a few times for varying opinions. It’s important to establish communication with your firm up front to avoid surprises of who will be handling the bulk of your case.

Act Quickly

Hiring your attorney should be one of the first things you do after being accused of a criminal offense. Even though your court date might seem a ways away, there is a lot that needs to be handled before you have your day in court. Make an appointment to talk to a criminal lawyer as soon after being arrested as possible.