Finding a Criminal Defense Lawyer - What to Look For

You have been charged with a crime. Not only are you scared because this has never happened to you before but you need legal representation. This is where hiring an experienced and skilled criminal defense lawyer comes into play.

It is important that you hire a criminal attorney who specializes in the type of defense that you require. Some criminal lawyers deal with routine defense cases but they also specialize in violent crime defense, rape defense, assault and battery defense and so on. If you can find one who specializes in your area, then that can work in your favor.

You need to hire the services of a criminal defense lawyer who will have no qualms about buckling down and learning everything he or she needs to know about your case. The lawyer cannot prepare a proper defense for you unless he or she knows everything that needs to be known about what happened to you.

If you do not have very much money for a criminal lawyer then you can be defended by a public defender. These lawyers are often painted with a less than stellar brush but many public defenders are very skilled legal professionals who work tirelessly for their clients. Public defenders are often court appointed for those defendants who are unable to hire their own private lawyers. Be aware that some private attorneys were once former public defenders.

You may be feeling so stressed and overwhelmed by your predicament that you are not thinking clearly. You may think that any attorney will do. You need to calm down and really think hard about the qualities that you want to find in the attorney who will be handling your criminal defense. Are you all right with hiring a young lawyer whose hard work and dedication will make up for his lack of legal experience or would you prefer someone a little older and more experienced who has credentials that are well established? These are things you need to decide upon before you hire a lawyer to help you.

Being charged with a crime is a serious matter. Even if it is a summary charge it can still go on your record and make your life difficult in the future. You need to find a professional who knows exactly what he or she is doing. You need to feel that you can put your fate in this person’s hands and you need to feel confident that they will be able to bring about the outcome you are wishing for.

The majority of attorneys belong to at least one or more legal organizations. Inquire if a lawyer belongs to his or her County and State Bar Associations. If you come across a criminal defense lawyer who belongs to the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and his or her State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers then you can breathe easy as you have found a criminal attorney of high standards who will work hard on your behalf. This is a very good indication of the caliber of the legal specialist you are dealing with.