Criminal Attorney - The Process of Hiring

Innocent until proven guilty, that's the mantra of the legal system right. While it is on the prosecution to prove that you did the crime that they are accusing you of, you need to be able to at least bring reasonable doubt to the table. Just because you have the right to represent yourself there is the old adage that anyone who has himself as a lawyer has a fool for a client. So when you are faced with being charged with a crime you want to have a good criminal attorney representing you at trial.

When you consider hiring a criminal attorney to represent you at trial you need to know exactly which are looking for. Most of these specialized lawyers will represent you on any type of crime, however, some are a little more specialized depending on what the charges are. If the charges are something unique for example, embezzlement, having someone that has a background with accounting or finance law will serve you better than someone that deals with any type of crime. For the most part what you will need simply is someone that knows the state legal statutes for whatever you have been accused of.

When looking for a criminal attorney you need to be able to narrow the field significantly. There are many good defense lawyers available with a varying amount of experience. While it may be cheaper to hire someone who is fresh out of school, it might not be the wisest move. Unless this person is with a firm that has a proven track record you might want to consider spending a little more money and hiring someone with experience. You need to be able to speak with the lawyer when it is convenient for you, as you will be called upon to help with your defense.

Look at the hiring process of a criminal attorney as if you are hiring an employee. No, that doesn't mean that you have to insist on drug tests or other pre-employment nonsense. What it does mean is that you should take the time to talk to the lawyer at rings prior to hiring him. Many of these types of lawyers will grant you an initial consultation which will be complementary. Not only does that give you an opportunity to interview him it also gives him an opportunity to review the information and see if you have a case. He may not offer you any advice other than generalized information until you have agreed to make him your counsel. This is common practice but you should still use this time wisely to determine whether or not he is a good fit for your team.

When you're ready to make your decision you should contact the office immediately and let the criminal attorney know that you are interested in having him on retainer. You'll probably have to pay an upfront fee that could be a thousand dollars or more, this information should be given to you during the initial consultation in the event that you choose to hire him.