Having a criminal defence lawyer on your side may make all the difference in how your case is handled and how it turns out if you have been charged with a crime. However, not every lawyer can be the best fit for you and your situation.
To find out if the lawyer you’re thinking of hiring can help you get the best result possible, it’s crucial to ask the appropriate questions. Below are some of the most critical questions that you should ask when interviewing a criminal defence lawyer to represent you.
How Long Have You Been Practicing Criminal Law?
When representing a client in a criminal case, experience is essential. There are several benefits to hiring a lawyer with extensive experience and a track record of successfully defending many clients.
An expert lawyer can provide you with accurate guidance on what to anticipate at every level of the legal procedure. He or she will also be able to foresee the tactics or acts of the prosecution, and then utilize that information to assist you in developing a solid defence plan.
A defence lawyer should have not only years of experience but also the appropriate sorts of experience and specialty.
What Are Your Academic And Professional Qualifications?
You want to be sure that your lawyer has the appropriate educational and professional qualifications, just as you would when hiring anybody else to do a job. Questions like “What legal school did you graduate from?” and “To which legal organizations or professional bodies do you belong?” could help you determine whether or not your legal counsel is trustworthy.
You might also want to find out if the lawyer you are interviewing has ever been accused of or punished for professional misconduct. You need your lawyer to be reputable if you want them to represent you in court.
How Much Is The Legal Fee?
Many people have strong feelings about money and legal expenses. Finding a skilled attorney who can help you with your criminal issue is important, but you also don’t want to commit to choosing one whose price structure would put you in economic difficulty.
If your attorney refuses to give you a clear response to the question, “How much is this going to cost?” you should be concerned. The fees charged by criminal attorneys are determined in a variety of ways.
Some charge an hourly rate that is subtracted from a deposit. Those types of agreements may be quite unexpected, and your final cost can differ greatly.
Also Read: What Is A Criminal Lawyer’s Responsibility To The Client?
What Is Your Success Rate?
Making sure your attorney has expertise with clients in similar situations to yours is a smart place to start, but you also want an attorney who is likely to get you a favourable conclusion. Even though every case and every client is different, you want to hire a lawyer who has a solid track record of getting the greatest results for his or her clients.
How Will We Communicate?
The secret to an effective lawyer-client relationship is communication. Ineffective communication on the part of one or both sides frequently leads to breakdowns in lawyer-client relationships.
You will need to stay in touch with your attorney as your case develops to get updates and give directions. To make sure they are accessible to talk to you about your case, your attorney may prefer that you schedule meetings in advance. Find out your lawyer’s preferred method of client communication.
Inform the attorney of your availability depending on your job schedule, your family commitments, or any other responsibilities you may have at the same time. It’s crucial to understand whether your attorney can plan meetings on the weekends or at night if necessary and whether they can be contacted.
What Approach Do You Recommend For Handling My Case?
No lawyer can promise how the case will go or be resolved precisely, just like they cannot guarantee how the case will turn out. But your legal representative needs to be able to come up with a clear defence strategy and a plan for how to proceed with your case.
Your lawyer should lay out the different tactics, explain to you why they have selected those techniques for you, and inform you of the benefits and drawbacks of each.
About Daryl Royer
Daryl Royer is one of Edmonton’s most sought-after criminal defence lawyers, with extensive experience in criminal law and an excellent reputation in Edmonton and throughout Canada. Learn more about Daryl Royer and his grip on criminal law.
Need a diligent criminal lawyer to defend your case? Contact Daryl now.