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Published On: Wed, Jun 19th, 2019

13 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer

Are you convicted for a felony?

If yes, then you need an Orange County criminal lawyer to represent you in the court. It sounds obnoxious, but a criminal case can scar. The only thing worse is you hire someone who can’t win your case.

To make sure you don’t do it, avoid these mistakes.

Use a Public Defender

This is the worst thing you can do if you are accused of a crime. We are not saying Public Defenders are not good enough. Not, they are smart, qualified, and honest people who work hard for their living. They earn every paycheck.

The problem is, these people are manded by the law to represent people who lack the money to hire a private attorney. They are overloaded every time, and this affects their ability to pay attention to detail. These lawyers are supposed to represent people who lack the financial resources to hire a private attorney.

So, if you can afford a lawyer, you better do it. A conviction, especially a lawbreaking, will ruin your life. Hiring a private attorney like an orange country criminal lawyer can save your skin.

Hiring Someone Off Yellow Pages Instead of Website

Most attorneys have a proper website. The problem with yellow pages is, they tell you nothing about the lawyer.  So, you better not waste your time there. A website has pages filled with information about the lawyer. They have everything you need to know about an attorney before you hire them; this includes their education, previous experience, and professional background.

If you don’t know where to start, check your local state’s bar website. They will refer excellent lawyers based on your needs. Just make sure the lawyer you hire is not disciplined by the state bar.

Hiring Someone Who Doesn’t Specialize in Criminal

It’s a common mistake people make. They often end up hiring a lawyer who doesn’t specialize in Criminal Defense. So, when you are searching the internet, search for a lawyer who specializes in criminal defense. If the lawyer specializes in personal injury or bankruptcy, then don’t bother. Criminals are serious, and the law is updated almost every day.

This is worse than hiring an inexperienced lawyer. Yes, even a lawyer who specializes in criminal law will not help your case if they have no previous experience of dealing with such cases. Ideally, the lawyer should have at least ten years of experience. Some prosecutors quit the district attorney and start a private practice as they are passed over for portions or they have trouble getting along with their boss.

Someone who has been in business for this long has strong relations developed with the prosecutors and judge. This will help you in the long run, in short; you don’t have time to hire a newbie. Yes, he will charge you less, but their inexperience can cost you dearly. You better let the inexperienced lawyer gain experience on someone else case.

photo/ Arek Socha via pixabay

Hire a Former Prosecutor

This might sound like the right thing to do, but it’s quite the opposite. If you are facing criminal or felony charges, you better hire someone who always fought as a criminal lawyer. It’s true some prosecutors quite the Attorney office. There are various reasons for why they do it.

It doesn’t matter how much time they spend outside the prosecutor system; it’s hard to change from being a hardnose prosecutor who wants to send every accused to jail to someone who can defend people. It’s intellectually and emotionally challenging, perhaps near impossible.

So, you are better off with a criminal defense lawyer who made his living helping people stay out of jail.

Trusting Someone Who Rarely Goes to Trial

You need an attorney who goes to trial often. Attorneys are the most respected (and sought-after lawyers). They are valued because of their knowledge, fearlessness, and speaking. They can think and react quickly. They are hard workers, and they have made a name for themselves. These lawyers are hell-bent on delivering the best results possible

Not Hiring a Criminal Law Specialist

If you want to stay out of jail for good, you need to hire someone who specializes in criminal law. Look for a certified specialist. Only trailed and experience lawyers become certified specializes, these layers have taken and passed hard tests and are on the top of their profession.

These people keep up with the changing developments of the law. Just look for one who has received excellent reviews from superior court judges and other attorneys. These people are rather familiar with their work.  

Not Hiring a Big City Attorney

This might sound like a joke, but it’s a real thing. Excellent attorneys usually move to big cities. These lawyers handle a wide variety of cases and have fought against some of the toughest opposition settings as compared to someone working in rural or suburban settings. If you live near a big city, then you better find an attorney from there he will cost you a bit more, but it’s worth the difference.

Lack of Research

This should be the first mistake in our list, anyways, its better late than never. Most people don’t tend to search around the market they usually hire the third or fourth name they come across with they don’t assess whether the person they are going to hire is capable of defending their case or not.

Selecting a Lawyer Because of Low Rates

You get what you pay for. If you are going to choose a lawyer only because he costs less, then you might pay for this poor decision later. There is a reason why everyone recommends to get the best orange country criminal lawyer possible.

If you hire someone inexperienced and they fail to prove your stance, you will be evicted and thrown in a jail cell So, be smart and team up with an experienced lawyer; they will help you stay out of jail If you choose only on price, you are going to regret this decision later on. So be smart!

Making Assumptions

Most people assume without checking. It’s a grave mistake. Don’t fall for advertisement; they are designed to fool people most of the times. You can’t make your mind based only on an ad. So be smart and check whether the stuff being advertised is true or not.

Not asking important questions will result in you losing your case. Most people are shy to ask lawyers to ask important questions. There are several reasons why they chose to do it, they are intimidated, or they don’t know what to ask the lawyer.

Its common most people when searching for a lawyer are doing it for the first time, so yes, they have no idea about what they are doing.

Not Checking the Certification

We don’t mean to easy you should not trust a word everything your lawyer tells you, but you have to be vigilant enough to double check a few things on your own. Your lawyer’s qualifications and track record are two of these things. You have to perform a background check on your lawyer and look specifically for these things.

Don’t worry; it’s not unethical. You are doing important research to make sure the lawyer you interview is who they say they are. See whether their qualification and track record check out if you mind any differences in the story; it’s better to drop the lawyer and find someone else. Don’t bother taking this matter up to him; you are not going to beat them at debating, they do it for a living.

Finalizing the Fee

This is another crucial, yet common mistake people make when they hire a lawyer, they don’t finalize the fee or at least seek clarification for it. Make sure you discuss the legal fee in the first few meetings because they start working on your case. Lawyers or law firms have different price models. So, if you adopt ask them how much they will charge for their services, it will cost you dearly in the long run ceriman case go over a long time. It may span a big long if there are some complications, and this only cost you more.

So be upfront about the costs and ask your lawyer about it.

Going Against Your Instincts

We all do this in our daily life. Yes, the instinct is not right always, but you should follow it from time to time. When it comes to hiring a criminal defense lawyer, you should listen to your gut. Don’t make the mistake of not trusting your gut feeling, or you are going to regret it.

When you are going to hire a lawyer, you will have a gut feeling whether you should trust him or not. If you don’t follow this feeling, you will hire the wrong person to represent your case.

Various signs show the lawyer you are interviewing or going to hire is less than capable of representing your case or let alone win it. So, act carefully.

Author: Michael Wright

On the DISPATCH: Headlines  Local  Opinion

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