subject: What To Look For In A Criminal Defense Lawyer [print this page] When you or someone dear to you has been charged with a criminal offense, the first thing you need to do is hire a criminal defense attorney. This should be done whether you are guilty or not. Without a competent legal representative on your side, you may be convicted for crimes you did not commit. When in need of criminal defense lawyer San Jose inhabitants need to consider the following factors.
You first need to get a lawyer who concentrates his practice in the area of defense that you are interested in. This is because different attorneys usually concentrate in different aspects of crime. For instance, some of them may choose rape while others choose violent crime defense.
You will also have to determine the qualities that are important to you in a solicitor. Some people prefer attorneys who have a wealth of experience. Others may also opt for solicitors who are young and inexperienced but compensate for the lack of experience through hard work.
You may also need to consider the size of the law firm that the attorney represents. In most cases, attorneys from bigger firms are always likely to yield better outcome than their counterparts from small firms. This is because there are many other solicitors from within the same company that they can share their experiences with unlike in a small firm where there may only be one legal representative.
The legal fee must also be put into consideration. Generally, attorneys usually have different ways of charging for their service. These include hourly rates, flat rates and fees for specific parts of your case. You should therefore look for one whose terms favor you. In addition to this, it is also important to compare charges from different firms and choose one that is affordable.
In order to win a case of this nature, you may have to reveal some of your dark secrets to the solicitor. Because of this, you need someone you are comfortable with. The only way to determining this is to have a meeting with your potential attorney before you actually contract him. This will also give you the opportunity to determine their level of professionalism and suitability for the case.
It may be very difficult to find lawyers with all the above characteristics. However, if you can find one with majority of them that will just be fine. By considering all the above factors when searching for criminal defense lawyer San Jose residents will be sure of quality legal representation.
