How to Hire a Lawyer
When you or a loved one has been charged with a crime, it can be a terrifying experience. A million questions will rush through your mind. Am I going to jail? How can I get out? What about my job, my home, or my family? How could this be happening to me? And, perhaps most importantly, do I need a lawyer?
The answer to that last question is definitely YES! If you are facing a judge and your freedom, your finances, or your future are on the line, you most certainly want to have a qualified lawyer arguing for you. Many times, people who try to work without a lawyer, or who think they can just go to court and explain everything to the judge themselves, do not realize how badly they have compromised their case until it is too late.
Most people have never been charged with a crime or had any involvement with the criminal justice system. That is why hiring a qualified criminal defense lawyer in Daytona Beach, DeLand, and Volusia County, Florida can be one of the most important decisions you will ever make.
Most people have never hired a criminal defense lawyer. All lawyers are NOT the same. So, how do you hire a criminal defense lawyer? When people ask me this question, I give them the following pieces of advice:
Find a Lawyer Whose Focus Is Criminal Defense
Many lawyers focus on multiple areas of the law. They handle family cases and car accidents, write wills, and also handle some criminal defense. Then there are lawyers who ONLY work in criminal defense. The lawyers in the second group are often much more experienced in criminal defense than the lawyers in the first group. After all, it is all they do.
As a result, those lawyers usually have more familiarity with the law and the different ways to mount a defense to criminal charges. Good criminal defense lawyers will know things that the lawyers in the first group do not even know they do not know. Increased time in criminal court also gives them a better understanding of how to work with prosecutors and judges.
Hire a Lawyer Who Knows the Area
Sometimes there is a temptation to hire a lawyer from out of town. Maybe it is because of the idea that a lawyer working in a bigger city is more qualified than one from a smaller town. Or maybe it is because of a concern that a local lawyer will not work as hard on your case because they do not want to damage relationships with prosecutors or judges.
Hiring a lawyer who knows and regularly works in the jurisdiction where you have been charged is often a critical factor in the success of any criminal defense. Each judge and jurisdiction has its own way of doing things, which a local lawyer will know better than someone new to the jurisdiction. An experienced local criminal defense attorney may also understand local police department procedures, the reputations of specific officers, and what kind of jury may hear your trial. You want a lawyer who knows and understands the landscape of the jurisdiction where you have been charged.
Make Sure You Are Comfortable With the Criminal Defense Lawyer You Hire
This is the most important factor. If you are unsure about a lawyer’s qualifications, whether they have had disciplinary problems with their state bar, whether they return phone calls, whether you are comfortable speaking with them, or whether they simply do not seem right for you, then move on. Hiring a lawyer is like giving a job interview. If you meet a lawyer and would not be comfortable with them on your case, do not hire them. Go talk to another lawyer.
The person you hire is going to play a gigantic role in how the next few months to few decades of your life will play out. They need to be someone you can trust to keep your best interests at heart, tell you what you need to hear, and communicate openly with you. If you meet a lawyer and get a bad feeling in your gut, trust that feeling. Hire a lawyer who does not give you doubts. You may only get one shot at this decision, so you want to be certain it is the right one for you.
Call us today to hire the right criminal defense lawyer for your case in Daytona Beach, DeLand, and Volusia County, Florida.