Hiring A Criminal Defense Lawyer Pt. 1

As anyone who has had dealings with criminal justice knows, navigating through the system can be a daunting – and often, frightening – task. Finding yourself in the middle of a criminal suit, especially if it’s your first time, can be bewildering to say the least, so it is essential that you get the best legal representation you can afford. However, with so many criminal defense lawyers in Brooklyn, how do you go about weeding out the less reputable ones, and finding the one who is right, not only for your case but for you as a person too?

How do I find the right criminal defense attorney?

In essence, hiring a criminal defense lawyer should be no different to buying any other goods and services; you’ll need to make sure that you are getting good value for money, that the product you’ll be getting (in this case, legal representation) is fit for purpose, and that it suits you.

The most obvious aspect, when hiring a criminal defense lawyer, is experience. An experienced and skilled criminal defense attorney will be able to expertly plead your case, with the minimum possible fuss. So first and foremost, if the lawyer you are considering giving your business to is not completely au fait with national and state criminal law, you should find one who is.

Look into the lawyer’s background, their track record, success rate, and references. By all means, ask around but do remember that even if the crime seems similar, every case is different. Besides, the criminal defense lawyer that the guy along the street had might have been perfect for him but you may find you just can’t get on together.

The chances are that you’re going to be spending quite a bit of time with your criminal defense lawyer, so it’s vital that you actually get along with them. And vice-versa. No one says you have to be best buddies but there should be mutual respect, and above all, trust, especially if your case is of a more serious nature, such as a sex crime or murder. After all, you may be entrusting your personal freedom to them. So before you put your fate in their hands, try to get to know them a bit to get an idea of the kind of relationship you’re likely to have with them.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself;

• Do you actually like your prospective criminal defense attorney? If the answer is ‘no’, then walk away and find another one. There is no shortage of them.
• How comfortable do you feel with them? Do you trust them to do their very best for you?
• Are you confident that they are being honest with you about possible outcomes, or do they seem to be making promises just to get your business? Are they telling you what they think you want to hear? Do they claim to have connections in high places who will be able to help you?
• Conversely, are they trying to use scare tactics to get your custom? Just because someone is a criminal defense lawyer, it doesn’t mean they are automatically completely honest.

In part two, I’ll be talking about other steps you can take to ensure you find the best possible criminal defense lawyer to represent you.

In the meantime, if you would like to speak to a Queens criminal defense lawyer, then call Richard Cary Spivack on 718-544-1000 today for a free consultation, or send me an email to see how I can help you with your case.

[CDL PT1]