While many choose to go for a public defender, and many may not in fact, have the option of hiring a private attorney, if you are fortunate enough to find yourself in the position to hire a lawyer then it can be of great benefit if you are dealing with a more complex case or just need a lawyer that works in a specific type of law. Here are some things to look for to help you find the right lawyer for your needs.
Specialty
As with other fields, lawyers often specialize to become an authority on a certain type of law. When looking for a lawyer, it’s important to find one with experience in the field in which you are being charged. In most cases a criminal defense attorney would be the best option, however, if it is a more complicated case where maybe certain types of money or technology are involved, then maybe a lawyer who is even more specialized may be beneficial.
Familiarity
Another thing to really think about is how well you get along with the lawyer who will be representing you. This is the person you need to have trust in because you are essentially putting your life into their hands. Now it does not necessarily have to mean that you have to be best friends but if your intuition is giving you warning signs then maybe it’s worth looking into if this lawyer will be a right fit.
Size of the law firm
If the potential lawyer is coming from a firm, it can be helpful to look into the size of the firm. This is because it can give some insight into the lawyer’s case load and also because it may be able to save you some money. If the lawyer is working independently or comes from a small firm, then a lot of time they may actually be able to give you more one-on-one time to spend on the case. This can be good and bad. it is good because you will have more of their attention and focus but bad because the research will be done personally which means more hours to bill for. If the lawyer is coming from a large firm, they probably have a larger case load thus less time to just focus on your case. However, with large firms comes assistants and dedicated researchers who will cost less than the lawyer doing all the legwork themselves.
Cost
Tying into the benefits and problems that come with different sized firms, is the overall issue of cost. It’s no secret that working with a private lawyer can get extremely expensive so it is imperative to find someone who is transparent and forthcoming from the beginning about what their services will cost. There would be few things worse than going through all the stress of a trial, only to be met with a massive surprise bill you had not planned for!
In summary, the main goal should be to find a lawyer who understands your needs and fits within your budget. If you are able to do this, you will be in great hands.
