Defense attorney selection is one of the most important decisions you'll make when faced with criminal charges. However, there are a lot of factors to consider, such as experience, skills, and fees. It would be best to choose the lawyer that will best represent you and the case at hand. If you're not sure which lawyer is right for you, check out the following tips on choosing a defense attorney:
Ask For a Recommendation from Someone You Trust
If you know someone who has had a recent case with this attorney, ask for their recommendation. This person will have seen many cases, so they'll be able to give you an objective and accurate appraisal of the lawyer's work. They might even tell you that they are unsure if they would hire this lawyer again.
When you talk to them and ask them how they like working with the lawyer, ask all the questions that are bothering you and any other questions that come to mind. Continue to speak with them until they're confident that they can vouch for the defense attorney's work in their courtroom. You can also get recommendations online through reviews at sites.
Ask About the Fees for Each Lawyer
It's always important to negotiate a fair fee with your criminal defense attorney, but don't cut corners here either! Negotiate a price without lowering it from what is fair, depending on your case. It will keep your legal fees low enough so that you're able to pay them back after their services are provided.
This means that you should ask your attorney to explain their hourly fee schedule and a fixed fee for the services they offer you. It's also important to know how much of their time is allocated to criminal court and dedicated to other cases like domestic, traffic, and civil matters.
Ask About Their Defense Experience
You don't have to worry so much about this if the attorney is a highly experienced criminal defense lawyer in your city who has worked on many cases before; either way, you must get an idea of their experience with criminal cases. Ask them if they've ever tried a case similar to yours; maybe one in their past that was similar but didn't end up as well for them as your defense attorney? The worst thing that you can do is pick someone who hasn't tried anything similar to what your case entails yet; although, you can remedy this by taking them on at a reduced rate to get them off the ground and get started in your case.
In conclusion, these are just some of the important things that you need to know when choosing a criminal defense lawyer; make sure you're at least informed enough to ask questions and be sure to ask someone who knows a lot about the field of law, to find one with whom you can trust.
Meason & Ramsey Law provides a professional experience for all our clients, helping them navigate their legal rights. Our focus is criminal law (felony and misdemeanors). We specialize in Criminal Law, Divorce and Family Law, Probate Law. We are currently accepting cases in Washington, Nowata and Osage counties. Meason & Ramsey Law has family lawyers, divorce lawyers, probate lawyers, criminal defense lawyers, DUI & DWI lawyers, co-counsel lawyers, family attorneys, divorce attorneys, probate attorneys, criminal defense attorneys, DUI & DWI attorneys and co-counsel attorneys. Marty Meason and Rodney D. Ramsey, Attorneys
Meason & Ramsey Law
515 Delaware Ave
Bartlesville, OK 74003
918-336-6300