Tips For Searching For a Defense Attorney
If you or a loved one is looking into possible jail time or other serious trouble, then choosing a good criminal defense attorney is going to be very important. What you will want to do is carefully go through each possibility and choose a lawyer that will doggedly fight for you. If you use common sense and careful effort, however, you can find a New York defense attorney to help guide you through what could be a life-changing experience.
One important thing to remember is that not all lawyers who advertise frequently with huge ads is going to be the best fit for you. The best lawyers won’t always have the biggest ads. Many good New York attorneys depend on word of mouth or reputation to attract new clientele. So if your search leads you to bust out the yellow pages or search engine, keep this in mind. There are resources that list attorneys for New York especially, like the New York Council of Defense Lawyers.
Try not to limit your research to TV ads and the Internet. As we stated before, there are plenty of lawyers who use word of mouth to bring in new clients. You might simply try asking around to see if any of your friends, family members, or co-workers knows of a good defense attorney. You might ask them a few questions about the attorney so that when you sit with him/her for your consultation, you can see if the answers match up. Nothing like a little 007 work, eh?
The next step in weeding through your list of “potentials” is to set up a consultation with each lawyer. This is without a doubt the most important step in the process of choosing an attorney. This is your opportunity to ask questions that will help you get an idea about the affordability of the lawyer (budget is a factor for most of us!) and whether the lawyer is truly qualified and experienced in handling cases similar to yours.
During the consultation, you should examine the attorney carefully. His or her personality will tell you a lot about how enthusiastically he will defend your case. You want someone who can almost take this case as seriously as you do. Also be sure to ask if the person you are talking to will be the lawyer who will actually represent you.
If you are careful and cautious, you will avoid rushing into a decision as you search for a New York defense attorney. Hopefully you will find a criminal defense attorney that will give you the best possible outcome in court.