subject: Knowing What A Criminal Defense Attorney Can Do For You [print this page] If you are in a situation that necessitates the use of a criminal defense attorney, then you should know what it is that you should expect him or her to do for you. Unless you work in a job where you are often at risk for being accused of crimes or you are someone who is often involved in crime, you probably do not have your own criminal defense attorney.
If you are in a position where you need someone to defend you in the court of law, then you will want to know what to expect from a criminal defense attorney. When you first discover that you may be in trouble, you will want to have the right help for consultation. It might be that you will not even retain this initial help, but you will need someone who knows how to help you in your situation.
Once you consult with a criminal defense attorney, you may know your next course of action. Most attorneys probably offer a free initial consultation, so you have now used up that. At this point, you might have the decision of retaining the same or a different law professional or choosing to go with the one that is appointed in court.
You might also find out that your situation is one that you might not even need to retain anyone, so rather than waste the money; you might just need to wait to see what happens in the case. You might feel more confident if you are able to just stay in touch with the law professional with whom you consulted in case something were to come up unexpectedly.
Some traits to look for in a law professional if you do choose to hire one should include honesty, experience, empathy, and organization. These areas will be helpful as the individual helps to prove you innocent or helps to get you off with a lesser sentence.
Honesty is essential because you both need to be on the same page in order to communicate correctly in court. Experience is another essential. The person that you choose might not be as experienced as you might like with cases in the courtroom. He or she may read a lot of them, but actual in court cases may be less than a court-appointed lawyer. Empathy is important because it will spur them on to help you; because, they feel your pain.
Organization will help you both to stay on top of all of the details that need to be arranged. Look for a criminal defense attorney with these traits