When you’re innocent but framed as guilty, it’s necessary that your case is handled by the best.
After all, who’s going to understand what’s possible for your case? How can you ensure that you get the best terms possible?
But maybe you already understand the importance of good representation. Maybe for you, you’re just not sure how to choose good representation.
Luckily, there are a few questions clients can ask to make the process of choosing an attorney even easier.
So keep reading to learn about five questions to ask before hiring a criminal defense lawyer. Doing so might save you a world of headaches and a prison sentence.
1. How Many People Will Represent Me?
The answer to this question depends on many factors, primarily the size of the firm. With bigger firms, it’s likelier that your legal counsel will consist of several people instead of just one person. Before committing to a legal firm, ask them how many people they plan on sending your way.
A bigger legal team could consist of many junior associates acting in place of the attorney you’re speaking with. While this does not automatically negate the quality of their services, you’ll want clarification as to how much involvement they’ll have in your case. Some clients avoid this hassle entirely by making sure that their legal representation consists of only one criminal defense attorney.
2. Have You Had Experiences With Cases Like Mine?
There are many different types of criminal cases, which diversifies the fields that criminal defense lawyers can specialize in. Depending on the case’s details, you might even want to get legal help that’s local to your area and the law.
In fact, this is one of the most important questions to ask a lawyer since it will reveal whether they can better guarantee success. Inexperienced attorneys may miss obstacles that are made more obvious through experience. They probably also have less confidence and preparation for the trials ahead, which can result in a lackluster case.
3. How’s Your Success Rate?
You’d hope that plenty of experience comes with plenty of success. Don’t commit to legal services without understanding how they’ve helped others. While some lawyers will gladly take financial compensation while producing shabby results, others take more care through their defenses.
4. What’s Your Communication Style?
This is one of the more underrated attorney questions that clients think to ask. But communication style repeatedly makes its importance known throughout case processes. Whether the attorney in question communicates weekly, through phone, or in person, it’s important that their communication preferences match yours.
5. What Can I Do?
Rather than working for you, your criminal defense lawyer is working with you. Even the best defense attorney needs a cooperative client for optimal success and a great legal strategy. So after hiring a lawyer, ask them what your responsibilities are as a client.
Choose the Best Criminal Defense Lawyer for Your Case!
There are many types of injustices to combat, including those framing innocent people as guilty. So if it happens to you, make sure you get a great attorney on your case — for the sake of you and everyone else affected by cases like yours, your victory matters.
If this guide helped you choose a great criminal defense lawyer, then check out the rest of our blog! We have plenty of great legal information that can help readers like you navigate tough court battles.