If you have been arrested and charged with a crime, you need a lawyer’s support. Under no circumstances should you attempt to go up against the criminal justice system on your own. Studies show that people who represent themselves in police interview rooms and courtrooms lose at a much higher rate than people who hire lawyers. However, if you have never had to hire a criminal defense attorney before, the chances are you won’t know what qualities to look for in one. This post will explore this topic in more detail and tell you everything you need to know, so read on to find out more.
Positive Reviews
One of the main things you need to look for is positive reviews. If a lawyer has been reviewed positively, it is a clear sign you can trust them. You can visit Josh Smith Legal website to see what positive reviews are supposed to look like since they have over 100 5-star ones. Additionally, check out your chosen law firm’s Google Review and Trustpilot pages. These are the web’s review authorities and can be very insightful. They are also free to use.
Lots of Experience
Experience is key. Under no circumstances should you hire a lawyer to defend you in court who’s inexperienced. An inexperienced lawyer won’t be able to mount an effective defense. Fortunately, reviews are one of the best ways to ascertain a lawyer’s level of experience. In addition to reviews, the amount of time their law firm has been open can also be very helpful. The longer, the better. Most lawyers advertise the amount of time they have been operating on their websites, so you should not have a hard time finding out how long your chosen lawyer has been active.
Confident Speech
You need to find a lawyer who’s a confident speaker. This is especially important if your case is going to end up going to court and you are going to have to defend yourself in front of a jury. A lawyer who has a confident manner of speaking will be a lot more convincing and much more likely to successfully argue against the prosecution. The best way to determine whether or not a lawyer is a confident speaker is to get in touch with them and have a conversation. You can do this over the phone or in person.
Area of Expertise
Finally, you need to make sure you find a criminal defense attorney who specializes in the area of law that you need help with. For example, if you have been arrested for a DUI, try and find a lawyer who specializes in drunk driving law. Something to note is that most law firms have multiple specialties. As long as the firm you work with is positively reviewed, experienced, and has been open for a while, they should be able to defend you in just about any criminal case.
If you are due in court, you need a lawyer to fight for your freedom. Think about the points made here and use this article’s advice to find the best lawyer you can. The better your lawyer is, the more likely you are to walk out of court with a not-guilty verdict or a heavily reduced sentence.
