Hiring the Wrong Criminal LawyerThe majority of people will never need to hire a criminal defense lawyer to represent them. If you’ve been charged or arrested for the first time, you’re most likely going to be worried and confused on how to go about hiring the best criminal defense lawyer available to you. The right defense lawyer will be able to help you through your legal issue, including representing you in court if your case goes to trial. Your lawyer is going to fight for your rights and your freedom, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re working with someone you can trust.

If you don’t know where to start your search for your criminal lawyer, here are a few of the things that you SHOULDN’T do:

Your Lawyer Search Shouldn’t Be A Bargain Hunt

Sure, you’re already upset and you don’t want to have to pay a ton of money out of pocket on top of everything else. Keep in mind that looking for the cheapest defense lawyer in your area could come back to haunt you in the end. If a lawyer is inexpensive, it could denote a lack of clients, experience, credentials, or personal attention to their cases. However, in some situations, it may be worth considering other factors behind the lawyer in addition to a low price.

Likewise, hiring a lawyer who is not right for you may result in additional costs or damage to your case. You may need to hire a second lawyer. You could lose your job, or even your freedom due to a poor outcome to your case. You may need to hire an appellate lawyer.

While hiring an experienced lawyer won’t guarantee you the outcome you want, it will give you the best chance of a positive outcome. You wouldn’t feel comfortable with an inexperienced surgeon, and you should feel comfortable about your choice of legal representation as well.

Don’t Choose Your Lawyer Over The Phone

While your lawyer should be good at negotiating and working with others, this is not what you should be basing your choice on. Your criminal lawyer will be representing you to judges, prosecutors, and juries, so you’ll want to hire someone you trust and are comfortable working with. It is difficult to assess your lawyer’s skill and experience and build a trusting relationship with them over the phone. In some cases, meeting with your criminal lawyer at their office before hiring them is impractical. If at all possible, you should set up an in-person meeting with your preferred lawyer before you choose to hire them.

Don’t Fall For Good Advertising

Anyone can create a website to market their services to the public. Any lawyer, even those fresh out of law school, can start a criminal defense website for their legal services, but that doesn’t mean they have the specialized skill and experience that could make or break your case. In order to find a lawyer who specializes in criminal law, you’ll most likely need to hit the internet. You’ll find a number of websites that list Board Certified lawyers in your area. An lawyer with Board Certification has substantial, relevant experience in a select field of law, and will provide you with demonstrated, tested special competence in their area of legal expertise.

Don’t Put It Off

We all try to put off doing things that make us uncomfortable or add additional stress to our lives. But when it comes to criminal matters, delays in hiring a professional criminal defense lawyer to represent you can lower your chances of a successful outcome. In some cases, having an experienced lawyer intervene at the investigation stage of your case can prevent charges from being filed. No matter what your legal circumstances, it’s important to begin looking for a qualified lawyer as soon as possible in order to better handle your case and achieve a positive outcome for your circumstances.