How To Look For A Criminal Attorney

If you are looking for a San Francisco Criminal Attorney you should be aware of the options available to you. If money is tight you may be appointed a public defender who will represent you on your behalf. While many attorneys started off as public defenders, you may not get the same amount of resources available to you as you would with your own personally chosen representative.

The first thing to do is ask around and look for companies to contact. A search of your local area is a good start to see who is available. If you see any that advertise promising a result, discount them immediately. No attorney can promise a positive outcome and if anything they should be honest about the details of your case. It is generally advised to contact at least four different companies to get a broadest possible range of options.

If you do meet a criminal attorney and they make this kind of offer before looking at your evidence or hearing the details of your case, move on as quickly as possible. You should also be wary of any practitioner who claims to specialize in an area without being officially certified.

Many criminal attorneys do have this kind of certification. This is ideal if your case requires a specialist, for example if it involves tax or aviation. While a lot of criminal attorneys are younger and looking to gain experience there are also a significant number of older, more experienced ones who choose to do this kind of case as a vocation.

What level of experience you are after depends on you. It is generally advised that misdemeanour and traffic offences are best handled by less experienced attorneys while federal and felony cases should be handled by lawyers with at least five years experience. While this is a broad rule of thumb it can help narrow down your choices.

At the interview stage, it cannot be emphasized enough that you are in control and that you are choosing someone to represent you. In this respect, you should do a background check to see if there is any information on their services and any reports on their conduct in court.

On a basic level, you should also ask yourself if you trust them. It is worth remembering that they will be the ones speaking on your behalf in court so it helps if you feel comfortable in their presence. In some cases, they may have a good reputation in the local area and this could help your case. Likewise, this can equally mean your case may prove more difficult with a less well respected lawyer in the local area.

Make sure you have all the relevant information to hand, specifically the court date, charges, location of the court, the bail amount and if necessary the contact information of who paid your bail. Ask about the kind of payment plans they offer, whether it is an hourly rate, a flat rate or a kind of combination of both. If a lawyer asks for a large amount of money up front, be very wary. In short, make sure you know all the facts before hiring your attorney.

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