How do I Find the Best Criminal Lawyer for my Case?
If you have been charged with a criminal offence, the first and most important thing you can do for yourself is to hire an excellent criminal lawyer. And the right criminal lawyer for your particular case. But it can be a daunting task to determine who the best criminal lawyer is for your case and who will be the best fit for you and your circumstances.
Deciding on the Right Criminal Lawyer for your Case
How do I find a criminal lawyer?
The best way to determine the best criminal lawyer for your case is to speak to them first. Most lawyers and law firms have websites with some information about their services and contact numbers. This is a sensible place to start. But you can only learn so much from a website. Call the lawyer. Call the firm. Speak to the lawyer about your case. Most lawyers will offer free consultations. You will learn much more from a brief conversation than you will from a website.
What should I look for in a criminal lawyer?
Results
A criminal charge is a very serious thing that can have life-long impact on you. So ultimately the most important thing to look for criminal lawyer who is most likely to get you the best result in your case. Making that assessment is easier said than done, but some of the tips below will help you with your decision.
Trust
Another thing that is critical in a lawyer-client relationship is trust. Have a conversation with the lawyer to get a sense of whether the lawyer seems like he or she is being open and honest with you or telling you what it is they think you want to hear. If the lawyer tells you they can guarantee a specific result, that is a red flag. If the lawyer tells you that the judge or the Crown is a friend who will therefore give you a good result, that is a red flag. Trust your instinct to help you determine if the lawyer seems like an honest person who will do the best job for you while remaining open and transparent so that you can properly navigate the process together.
Accessibility
Lastly, for many clients the accessibility of the lawyer is very important. Most lawyers are busy, but different criminal lawyers have different sorts of practices. Some lawyers may not be able to answer minor questions on short notice. Other lawyers will prioritize being accessible to clients to help them understand the process as it unfolds. Particularly since the process can be very stressful and for many clients is all very new to them. If accessibility is important to you, ask questions to learn what level of communication can be reasonably expected from the lawyer you intend to hire.
What questions should I ask during an initial consultation?
The primary goal of the initial consultation should be to determine if this lawyer knows what they are talking about, if they are well-suited to your case, and if you are going to be able to have an excellent working relationship with them throughout the process. Some good questions to ask are:
- What is your experience with the particular criminal charges that I am facing?
- What factual and legal issues that might pertain to my case, and how would you address them?
- What level of success and what is the range of results you have had with cases similar to mine?
- Do you take legal aid (if applicable)?
- If not, how much do you charge? Do you charge an hourly rate or a flat fee?
- Will it be you personally or a more junior lawyer handling my case?
- What level of communication can I expect throughout the process?
How do I decide which criminal lawyer is the best fit?
In your initial call with the lawyer, ask yourself this: Are they engaged with what I am telling them? Are they attentive to the specifics of my case and my issues and addressing them specifically? Do they sound like they are knowledgeable in the specific area of criminal law that I need them to be?
Costs of Hiring a Criminal Lawyer
How much does it cost to hire a criminal lawyer?
The overall cost to hire a lawyer to handle your criminal case can vary widely. It can vary depending on the complexity of the case and it can vary depending on the lawyer. Generally speaking, lawyers will usually either charge based on a flat rate (a fixed cost for the whole case or fixed costs for various stages of the case) or an hourly rate.
Either way, in your initial consultation, you should ask what the overall cost is likely to be.
Is an expensive criminal lawyer better than an affordable criminal lawyer?
The marketplace for legal services is not so different than any other market in which you consume goods and services. Sometimes there is a real correlation between the cost of something and its quality. Sometimes factors other than quality play into the cost model.
The key takeaway here should be: if one lawyers’ services are more expensive, is it apparent to you why they are more expensive? There may be a reason and that reason may be quality. But the point is this: look past the sticker price and focus on the other factors that suggest quality and fit. If that, at the end of the day, correlates with generally higher legal fees, then determine what you can afford and hire the person you feel is the best lawyer within your means.
Do I have to pay for a criminal lawyer or will Legal Aid pay?
If you have ben charged with a criminal offence, you may qualify for Legal Aid. Call Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258 to find out if you qualify. If you do, you will be issued a certificate, and the government will pay your lawyer for you. If you are not eligible for Legal Aid, you will have to hire your preferred lawyer privately.
Changing Lawyers
Can I switch or change lawyers?
You have a right to be represented by the lawyer of your choice. If you choose a lawyer and decide later that they are not the right lawyer for you, you can change. Though note that if you are on legal aid or if you have a trial date set, for example, changing lawyers may pose some challenges. But hiring a lawyer does not bind you to that lawyer indefinitely.
That being said, do not be hasty to change lawyers. Communication is key. If you are dissatisfied with your lawyer’s services the first best thing to do is always to communicate that to your lawyer. Discuss it with them first. The issue may be based on a misunderstanding or the lawyer may be able to improve in the area you feel needs improvement.
But for an accused person looking to find the right lawyer in the first place, considering the stress associated with the initial important decision, he or she may take some comfort in knowing that they are not bound to that lawyer forever if, for some reason, they feel they need to change lawyers at some point.
How do I Find a Lawyer Most Likely to be Successful in my Case?
How important is it to find a criminal lawyer with a high rate of success?
Past success can tell you something about a lawyer’s ability to succeed in achieving the goals you seek for your case. But keep in mind that every case is different, some cases are more difficult than others, and past success will never guarantee future success. Use your judgment to determine what a lawyers’ rate of success in cases similar to yours can tell you about the outcomes they might be able to achieve in your case.
Should I find somebody who specializes in criminal law?
Many criminal defence lawyers exclusively practice in the area of criminal law, or criminal and regulatory law. Some lawyers will have a more general practice. The most important thing is to be certain that the lawyer you hire is excellent in the area of work you need them to be. That is not to say somebody who practices in other areas cannot be an excellent criminal defence lawyer, but you certainly want a lawyer who has sufficient experience and skills dealing with cases similar to yours.
Which criminal lawyer will get me the best result?
Ultimately, nobody can predict the future. Trust your judgment after speaking with several lawyers to determine who is best for your case. Do not let wishful thinking cloud your judgment. Do not simply opt for the lawyer who predicts the best result. One lawyer may predict a range of results that is more in line with what you want to hear than another lawyer. One lawyer may have a more optimistic view about the prospects for a finding of not guilty in your case than another lawyer. That does not mean the one lawyer is being dishonest and the other honest. It also does not mean that the optimistic lawyer is actually more likely to achieve the best result than the lawyer who identifies more areas of concern that will need to be dealt with.
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