If you are reading this article, there is a high chance that you are facing criminal charges and are going through a stressful phase in your life.The consequences of criminal charges can be severe and capable of altering the course of one’s entire life when a guilty verdict is passed.
As such, it is critical to hire the best criminal defense attorneys to work on your case. Careful considerations have to be made before settling for a specific attorney to represent you.
Below are some of the crucial things you should consider when hiring a criminal defense attorney.
- Experience
This is one of the first things you should consider when hiring a criminal attorney. A good attorney is one that will do everything in their power for charges to be reduced or eliminated.
For instance, if you are from Atlanta, hiring Conoscienti & Ledbetter, will give you an advantage due to their vast knowledge of criminal law. They are familiar with the most effective defense techniques that could work in certain unprecedented situations.
- Reputation
For any attorney, their reputation and track record carry a lot of weight in determining whether or not they will secure clients. As a criminal defendant, feel free to ask your prospective attorney to share with you their track record. Keenly look at the number of wins and losses they have suffered in courtand go a step further to determine the number of wins they had with cases that relate to yours.
Even experienced attorneys have losses and that is ok. However, if the attorney has suffered more losses than wins, it may be a sign that they are inexperienced and may not have the capacity to represent you.
- Location
Hiring an attorney from your local area would be the best course of action. The attorney should preferably be based in the area where the case proceedings are being held.
An attorney who knows the prosecutor, judge, probation officers and other members of the judicial system will be in a better position to predict the outcome of the case and give their honest opinion in regards to the matter. They know which attorneys have a no-plea-bargaining policy as well as those that are likely to plead right before trials.
Based on the attorney’s experience in the courthouse, they will be aware of all procedures that pertain to the case and advise accordingly.
- Attorney-client relationship
No matter how highly-recommended an attorney comes, the client should be comfortable with them. This forms the backbone of any attorney-client relationship.
A good attorney-client relationship is an honest one. The client should trust the attorney enough to put everything in ‘black and white.’ This means that the client should share a detailed account of events that led to their current situation.
Additionally, the attorney should involve the client in the decision-making process. They should strive to explain things to their client in ways they can understand. Last but not least, they should show some interest in the clients overall well-being and not just the case.
Follow the above tips and minimize your chances of going to jail for a long time.
