If you’re under investigation and facing criminal charges, you know you need to get a good defense lawyer. Getting the right lawyer to work with you will help you to avoid criminal charges and clear your name.
Majority of lawyers will claim to be the best in their state, region or experience level just like consumer goods. This is purely marketing. You need to know more on how you can find a quality lawyer because finding the right lawyer can be a daunting and stressful process especially if one’s life is at stake.
The following are tips to help you get Federal Criminal Lawyer without much hassle;
1. Has expertise in Federal criminal law
It’s very important that you hire a lawyer who is specialized in federal criminal law. If you are facing federal criminal charges or is being investigated for federal crimes, you should hire a lawyer with experience in federal criminal law.
You should not go for a lawyer who mainly practices federal civil litigation; a lawyer who mainly defends state criminal charges or a lawyer who has never stepped foot in a federal courtroom.
Federal criminal cases are has high stakes, they usually have maximum sentences and large financial penalties, including fines. For all these reasons, a federal criminal case requires a lawyer to have some experience on it.
So when choosing a lawyer to represent you in a federal criminal case, it’s important that you understand the lawyer’s expertise. You can determine this by asking him or her questions like; how often does he/she appear in federal court? How many sentencing hearings has he/she had in federal court? When was the last time he appeared in a federal court, and for what kind of case?
2. Hire a good communicator
This is a very vital point. Make sure you hire a lawyer who knows how to communicate properly because he/she is going to spend a lot of time communicating with you. You’ll be talking about law, the facts as you see them and as the government does. The lawyer will be presenting your story of what happened to the government.
The lawyer should be able to communicate well with you, i.e. promptly and properly. And anything that he writes should make sense. You can judge this during consultation and decide on hiring him/her.
3. The price should be fair and reasonable
Federal cases are more expensive compared to state criminal cases. So in this case, you’ll use more money. But it’s justified if the lawyer has the skills and experience needed to defend the case.
When interviewing different lawyers, ask about their hourly fees and compare their relative experience, specialization and track record. This will enable you to determine whether the hourly fees requested are reasonable, too high or too low.
There are also flat rate fees. This is rare in federal criminal cases because these cases are complex. It’s difficult to predict how much work the case will involve unless invest some time learning about the case.
4. Professionalism
A real professional lawyer should be organized and presentable. He should return your calls when he promises to, show up during your meetings and be focused when discussing your case.
If you see that your lawyer lacks the above qualities, then you should get yourself another lawyer as soon as possible.
5. Trust your guts
If you have a bad feeling about your lawyer or you feel like he/she isn’t going to give you much attention, then don’t hire him/her. The lawyer is going to be your representative, he/she will be your face and your voice. Your freedom and reputation is highly dependent on him/her.
