According to the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, there are at least 50,000 criminal defense lawyers in America. That’s a lot of lawyers to choose from. Here is advice from Stephen Gustitis of Gustits Law on how to choose the best criminal defense attorney.
Before hiring a lawyer, you need to know the fee. Many criminal defense attorneys will charge a fixed fee. These amounts are usually only given in person and not over the phone or through email.
Another thing to consider is how competent the lawyer is. This can be assessed by going to a lawyer’s website and seeing how long that lawyer has practiced law, what kind of criminal cases are specialized in, any certifications acquired, and how easy the website is to understand. If it’s full of jargon, spelling errors or grammatical errors, move on. Lawyers need clear communication skills.
The next thing to assess is the lawyer’s work ethic. This can be done by reading reviews by former clients on Avvo.com and Yelp. Also, if it takes days for a lawyer’s office to get back to your inquiries, this shows that the lawyer is either too busy or too lazy to devote adequate time and attention to your case.
