Do a background check on the criminal defense lawyer. Find out if they belong to any legal organizations like the County or State Bar Associations. If this person is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, then chances are you are already in good hands.
You tell him all about your situation and what has been going on, he quotes you a fee, and you tell him it’s too expensive and go find someone else. A week later your wife comes in and wants to talk to a lawyer about a divorce. The attorney not only can’t take the case because he’s already talked to you and representing the wife would create a conflict, but he can’t tell the wife why he can’t represent her! The wife would simply be sent away. That’s how powerful the privilege is.
Comparison shop: Talk to several lawyers. The first lawyer you meet need not be the best one for you. Fix appointments and meet the lawyers personally. Discuss the facts with the ones you meet, and you may be able to identify who can best help you in the situation.
Other than this, if a person becomes a criminal lawyer lots of avenues open in front of him in the future. He can start defending the criminals, or he can even prosecute them. Other than this, he also has the chance of becoming the judge in the future.
Your criminal or DWI lawyer that you hire should discuss with you how they feel the case should be handled and what kind of outcome they are hoping for in the case, if they leave you in the dark that’s not good. It should be open communication between you two. That talking may help you bring up a point that you could have forgotten something that may have you facing less time.
Criminal case experience – When you are searching for a lawyer to hire, you have to ensure that they have criminal case experience. If they don’t, then they will not be able to provide the best help for you.
A civil law action is brought by a private citizen or company against a defendant. The lawsuit seeks redress for the alleged breach of some duty. This might include a doctor failing to meet the standard of care expected of doctors in the community or a driver failing to drive within acceptable norms. Should the suing party win, the defendant is faced with an award of monetary damages. The defendant does not face any jail time whatsoever, but the suing party usually only has to prove its case by showing its claim is supported by the evidence by a 51/49 or better percentage.
People who are in the legal game would be best placed to refer a good lawyer. Friends or family members may work in this arena and this would be a good starting point. It might be that the practice does not practice criminal law. They may still have good contacts in the criminal law field. They would then be able to refer a competent lawyer that deals with criminal matters.
It’s always wise to ask for referrals. The obviously thing about referrals is he/she is only going to give you people who are happy with them. That’s fine but a recent track record would be better. Ask them the outcomes of their last 5 cases. You don’t need names and address just how it turned out for the client.
Do not forget to confirm the certification of your lawyer. This is important, as it will give you an opportunity to choose the services of an expert. You can get all the information you need on the internet, by going to his workplace or even his law school. Once you identify who to work with, find out if he is familiar with cases like yours. If so, find out how many of those cases he has won and how many he has lost. Give him the job if he has a history of winning but if not, chances are that he will lose your case as well so find another one.