Before we even begin to look at how to find a reliable criminal defense attorney, it is first important to understand when you need one. If you find yourself convicted of a crime, the first thing that you should do is get your lawyer on the phone to help you out. The police and people who will be investigating the situation are not your friend and will be looking to prove you guilty. When the police charge you, do not answer any of their questions as you might indict yourself. Simply request a lawyer and do not say anything further as you have a right to remain silent during all of it.
The next major question to ask now is how can you go about finding a reliable criminal defense attorney. The difference between a good attorney and a poor attorney is night and day, and a good attorney will greatly increase the chances of you winning your case and getting out of your charges. You can find attorneys with years of criminal law experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney.
They Are Experienced in Criminal Defense
The first and most obvious thing that you should look for when hiring an attorney for this situation is by finding one who is experienced in criminal defense. Not only that, but they should also be experienced at fighting against the charges that have been laid against you. Good lawyers and attorneys will have their experience posted all over their office and online, allowing potential clients to see the types of cases that they took on and won. You can click here to see the benefits of hiring a criminal defense attorney and how they can help you win. At no point should you be looking at an attorney who has never worked your type of case before. When your life and career are on the line, you cannot afford to have someone who has no experience.
The next thing you have to look at when it comes to experience is the amount of money they will be charging. While it might be tempting to save money by hiring a cheaper attorney who hasn’t worked much, you are jeopardizing your chances of winning your case. You get what you pay for, and if you want an experienced individual like this criminal defense attorney who you know is going to help you, you have to pay the money to get them. Before hiring your attorney, ensure that they have the proper experience to help you in your case.
Analyze Their Track Record
As mentioned above, when hiring an attorney, you want to hire the one that is experienced and has won plenty of cases. Just because they have won plenty of cases however does not mean that they are the right attorney for you. Oftentimes, lawyers and attorneys will post their court victories, but hide their losses. Investigate into each attorney and see what their track record is when it comes to court cases. You will find that some have lost far more cases than they have won. If that is the situation, you will want to avoid them and go with someone who has a good record. If you don’t look into the track record of your attorney, you are not putting yourself in the best position to find a reliable one.
Check Their Reputation
Don’t be afraid to go online and see what people think of the attorney as well. The internet is full of all kinds of reviews and attorneys are not exempt from reviews that people give. If people have had a hard time working with them or they were being overcharged, this will all show up for you to see. Ensure that you are checking their reputation beforehand as you don’t want to end up working with someone that you are going to hate dealing with.
They Are Willing to Answer Questions
Any reliable attorney will sit down with you before you even hire them to let you ask questions. They will allow you to explain your case and the situation you are in, and then provide a short counseling session. Most of the time, attorneys do not want to get involved in cases that they know they have no chance of winning as it will damage their track record even if they make some money. A reliable attorney will lay out the steps towards success in the courtroom and will inform you if it is even worth it to hire an attorney.
Someone who is dodging questions or trying to get you to sign contracts right away is someone you should be nervous about. With the severity of the matter and the amount of money at stake,
a good attorney will understand why you have so many questions. If they do not take the time to sit down and talk with you, it is recommended that you take your business elsewhere.
Ask Around
Finally, ask around to your friends and family about an attorney. If someone in your circle has been in a situation like this before and has won their case, they will likely pass on their attorney’s name to you. Finding attorneys via word of mouth is always great as these are people who have likely found success by hiring them. Be careful about people advertising their friend who is an attorney, as their skills might not be up to par. Take a look around the neighborhood and ask around to find yourself a proper and reliable criminal Defense attorney in Gainesville, GA or your area.
These are all things that you should consider and do when it comes time to find a reliable criminal defense attorney. Although you want to hire one quickly, you do not want to end up hiring one that is going to represent you poorly and ruin your odds at winning your case. Therefore, take the time to make a decision, but act with haste as you are going to be working against police and investigators. A good reliable attorney might be expensive, but the price is definitely worth paying if they can save your career and your life. At the end of the day, a good reliable attorney will always put you in the best possible position to win your case and continue with your life.