The choice of a criminal defense attorney who will represent you in a court of law is an extremely important decision that needs to be taken with the utmost care after a lot of consideration. This calls for a timely and informed approach to ensure the best possible outcome. Web browsing and watching vlogs simply isn’t a good way to narrow down your list of potential lawyers.
The best way to go about choosing the proper representative in your individual case is a face-to-face interview. This needs to be conducted with the help of a diligently prepared list of questions, which will enable you to establish whether or not a particular attorney is suitable for the job. Let’s take a look at the most important items on that list.
Is The Initial Consultation Free?
The only way for a lawyer to get a proper understanding of a case, predict outcomes and calculate costs, is by sitting down and talking to the potential client, DUI attorney in Murfreesboro, TN advise. The client himself needs to form an impression about the attorney and judge whether they feel comfortable with the thought of being represented by said attorney. This two-way evaluation can only happen if an initial consultation happens in person, not over the phone.
That said, a good tip would be to find a lawyer who offers that initial consultation free of charge. Because only after they have reviewed the charges against you, your social, educational, employment and residential status, will they be able to provide the specific answers you need pertaining to your individual case.
Are You Specialised In Criminal Law?
Unlike doctors, who always practice in the medical field they studied during medical school, a lawyer’s training and subsequent field of focus might differ. Criminal law, Personal injury, Family Law, etc. are all unique in terms of required expertise. Many lawyers will advertise a practice that spans many different areas of operation, however, it is more than likely that their primary focus will cover just one or two of the promoted skills.
When a person’s freedom and reputation are at stake, they cannot afford to entrust their case in a jack-of-all-trades kind of attorney. Only years of experience and interactions in a court of Law will guarantee a lawyer is armed with the right approach and arguments that will ensure the best possible outcome for the client. Having handled hundreds of similar cases should be a primary factor in the final decision, so before you proceed any further, establish that the attorney’s main focus is indeed Criminal Law.
What Do You Charge And Do You Offer A Payment Plan?
Yes, money is indeed a sensitive topic, and you might understandably shy away from asking about fees right at the very beginning of the interview. However, since you want to make sure you hire a great lawyer, that inevitably poses the question whether paying them is likely to get you in financial trouble you are unable to cope with afterward. So, if you don’t get a straightforward answer, you might have reasons to worry.
Some lawyers charge by the hour, whereas others have a flat rate that has a fixed character (you can read more about legal fees at /www.legalmatch.com/).
The latter might be a wise choice of payment, since criminal cases often tend to continue over a period of months or even years, in which case hourly fees might pile up into a small fortune. Go for a lawyer who provides fixed fees, formed on the basis of severity of the charges, pre-existing criminal history and/or aggravating factors, social/immigration status, as well as the period of time the case is expected to take.
What Outcome Do You See For My Case?
One way to judge how much experience an attorney has in the area of your case is by asking them how they see your case develop. Somebody who has walked the path numerous times will be able to provide an honest opinion, backed up with sound arguments, as to why events are likely to go in one direction or another.
Do beware of lawyers who are quick to “guarantee” a certain outcome or result. More often than not, bold promises are just a way to win over clients, and falling for such claims might have devastating consequences for the defendant. There are always a lot of variables involved in each individual case, making it unique. As such, it is close to impossible to predict winning or losing with complete certainty.
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