Felony Lawyer: Finding the Right Representation

If you've been charged with a serious crime, you will do well to hire a felony lawyer to represent you in your case. The sooner you can begin looking for one, the better off you'll be. The wheels of justice are known for moving extremely slowly, but it may not seem like that at first. Before you know it, you've been before the judge and may have even been through a preliminary hearing. If you can have an attorney by your side for these events, you'll be far better off. If deemed financially indigent, a public defender will be available to you, but if you can hire a private attorney, you should do everything in your power to get one. Here's how to find the right representation.

Recommendations

Whenever you're dealing with a service-oriented profession (and a felony lawyer fits into this category), your best bet will always be to look for recommendations. You can choose an attorney based on their advertisements, but those aren't going to tell you anything about the kind of attorney you're hiring. All they tell you is how good their advertising agency is, which isn't going to help you in a court of law. At the same time, you may not have many friends with experience in the criminal justice system. All the same, ask around and see what comes up. You may be surprised.

Things to Consider

When time is of the essence (which is probably will be in your situation), it can be tempting to hire the first felony lawyer you meet with. And that may be fine. But you shouldn't overlook major problems just because you want to bring your search to a quick finish. Having an attorney who is wrong for the case isn't as bad as representing yourself, but it isn't much better, either. Legal representation is expensive, so make sure you get your money's worth. Ask about an attorney's experience. Not only how much he has, but in what areas. Hiring a traffic attorney for your federal kidnapping trial is obviously nonsensical.

Working Together

Even the best felony lawyer could be wrong for your case. What's perhaps more important is how you get along with your attorney. No, that doesn't mean you need to be best friends. In fact, many attorneys prefer to keep a professional distance from their clients. But you should have rapport enough that you can work together easily towards the same goals. If you're constantly at odds about the direction of your defense, things aren't going to work out. Try to find an attorney who will listen to your concerns and won't be working against your wishes.