Finding a Defense Lawyer

When you have been charged with a criminal offense you need to make sure you hire the best defense lawyer you can afford. Criminal charges can carry stiff sanctions that can include financial penalties as well as a loss of your freedom. When you consider how much you have to loose, your investment in a good defense lawyer is really an investment in your life. 

You should expect your defense lawyer to work with you on your case to resolve things. Most cases are plea bargained out and never go to court. Ultimately, whether you choose to plead out and accept a deal from the prosecutor or take your case to trial, the choice to do so will be yours. You should expect your lawyer to guide you in the best decision for you based on their knowledge of the law and how strong of a case your lawyer feels you can build.

When you are ready to hire a defense lawyer you should make sure that you are hiring a lawyer whose specialty is criminal law and not another area of law such as family law or personal injury. This is important because you want to make sure your attorney is familiar with the area of law that you are dealing with.

Very few cases actually go to court because most defendants choose to settle their cases before it reaches this stage. However if you anticipate being one of the few cases that will go as far as court, you should make sure your particular attorney has actual court room experience. Most real life attorneys aren’t like television attorneys who spend their days in and out of a courtroom. In real life most attorneys lack courtroom experience because their cases are settled successfully out of court. 

There are several advantages to resolving your case before it goes to court however. For one thing, it will make your defense less expensive because you won’t have to pay for a large chunk of your attorney’s time to build a case, prepare witnesses and go over any mitigating circumstances that can be introduced. Another reason so many cases get settled out of court is time. Because unless you are out on bail, you will be sitting in a county jail while your case goes to trial and depending on how serious your charges are that can mean years behind bars before you even step foot into a courtroom.

Your defense attorney will be your advocate and your spokesman throughout the process so it is important that you choose someone you can trust to handle your case and resolve it to your satisfaction.