Questions to Ask When Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney
You need a top criminal defense attorney at your side during a tough time. After all, being charged with a crime is a terrifying ordeal that can go on for years. Interviewing a few criminal defense attorneys will help you choose the best one for your situation.
Here are some questions to help you as you search.
1. Have you handled cases like mine before?
A criminal defense attorney should be able to answer this question with specific details of similar cases. It's okay if that experience is limited. It would help if you also asked about the chances of getting a favorable outcome in your case based on their experience.
2. What would your strategy be for my case?
Understanding your attorney's strategy will help you feel confident and secure. If you think the attorney will take risks with your case, you can ask why and how this will impact the outcome of your case.
3. What alternatives are there to going to court?
Appearing in court may be the best choice for your situation, but there may be alternatives to consider. An experienced criminal defense lawyer can explain all the options available.
4. What are the possible outcomes?
Knowing the potential outcome of your case can help you prepare in advance. If the penalties could be severe, you have time to get your life in order before the process begins.
5. Who will handle my case?
As you interview criminal defense attorneys, ask about the people who will be working on your case. Will it be the attorney you're speaking with? Will it be a team with other experienced attorneys? Or will it be a fresh-faced new lawyer with little experience?
6. What will my role be in my case?
Asking about your role in your defense will help set you up for the best outcome possible. Your attorney may tell you there's not much you can do, or they may advise you to ask questions, be completely honest, and share your priorities.
7. How long have you practiced criminal law?
Good lawyers have had many years of experience, have won many cases and can tell their clients what to expect. The length of their career has allowed them to learn the tricks that prosecutors use.
8. What are your educational and professional credentials?
When you apply for a job, the application asks about your education. The same question applies here. You are looking to hire someone to do a job for you, so it's essential to find out their educational background.
9. What is your success rate?
Asking prospective criminal defense attorneys about their success rate will allow you to gauge how they measure success. Gaining an overall sense of how they have performed in their career will help you make the best choice.
10. Do you have any testimonials from past clients that I can read?
Attorneys typically have testimonials on their website. Online reviews can also help you understand how the attorney works with clients. You should still ask if they have testimonials not available online. Some receive cards and letters from thankful clients.
11. How often do your cases go to trial?
The answer to this question will reveal a couple of things.
A) How experienced the attorney is at court proceedings.
B) How experienced the attorney is at negotiating a plea deal.
12. How often do you appear in the courthouse that will hear my case?
Knowing how often your attorney appears in the courthouse that will hear your case is important. Frequent appearances in local courts allow the attorney to build working relationships with judges and other attorneys in that court.
13. How long will the process be?
The amount of time it takes for a case to conclude can vary widely. If the attorney has handled cases like yours in the past, he/she should be able to give you a general idea of how long your case could last.
14. How and how often will we communicate?
The best attorneys will give you their cell phone number and answer your calls 24/7. If they don't answer immediately, they will return your call quickly. If your prospective attorney doesn't communicate this way, let them know your expectations for communicating and be sure they agree.
15. How Much Will This Cost in total, and How Do Payments Work?
The cost of hiring a criminal defense attorney will depend on the attorney. Find out how they bill and how they expect payments to be made.
16. Who Do You Go to for Advice?
Attorneys often suggest alternative strategies to their clients, and many of these are valid and reasonable. Find out if your attorney has a trusted advisor or colleague with whom they discuss ideas and strategies.
17. Do you offer an initial consultation free of charge?
Many reputable lawyers offer free initial consultations. If your potential criminal defense attorney offers a free initial consultation, take advantage of it. Be prepared with your case details and a list of questions.
18. What issues have you had with past clients?
Let's face it; no one can make everybody happy all of the time. Sometimes attorneys have bad days, and sometimes they have bad clients. Asking this question will let you see how your
19. Can You Guarantee the Outcome of My Case?
If your potential criminal defense attorney says, "Yes!" he/she can guarantee the outcome of your case, walk away. There is no way an attorney can forecast the outcome because there is no way to know how the other side will prepare. All the attorney can guarantee is that they will do their best to protect your rights.
20. Did the Police Violate My Civil Rights?
The police are often accused of violating the constitutional rights of people suspected of committing crimes. Sometimes an attorney can use your interaction with the police to get your charges dismissed. Be sure to discuss the details of your arrest with your attorney so he/she can evaluate whether or not the police violated your rights.
21. Have You Ever Been Sanctioned For Professional Misconduct?
Since you are hiring this person to handle an upsetting situation for you, one that requires you to put your trust in his/her hands, you should find out if they have ever been disciplined for unprofessional behavior. Ask the question in person so the attorney can explain what happened.
22. Do You Have Any Conflicts of Interest?
You will share a lot of information during your initial consultation with an attorney. By the end of your discussion, the attorney should be able to identify if they have a conflict with your case. If he/she doesn't bring it up, ask if they have a conflict of interest.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
1. Does this attorney make you feel confident?
This is where your intuition comes in. Trust your gut. If you walk out of the consultation feeling like, "Wow! This lawyer is amazing!" then you will feel confident working with this person.
2. How does this attorney treat you?
How a criminal defense attorney treats you will help you gauge his or her personality. You should feel that your personal opinions and thoughts are heard and that the attorney cares about you and your feelings. This is important because you will be working together for some time. Guilty or not, you don't want an attorney that treats you like a criminal.
Being charged with a crime can be scary. Interviewing a few criminal defense attorneys and asking the questions listed here will give you a better chance of hiring a top criminal defense attorney. Take your time with the process. Use these questions to find an attorney you can relate to who will provide you with the best chance at the best possible outcome.
Here are some questions to help you as you search.
1. Have you handled cases like mine before?
A criminal defense attorney should be able to answer this question with specific details of similar cases. It's okay if that experience is limited. It would help if you also asked about the chances of getting a favorable outcome in your case based on their experience.
2. What would your strategy be for my case?
Understanding your attorney's strategy will help you feel confident and secure. If you think the attorney will take risks with your case, you can ask why and how this will impact the outcome of your case.
3. What alternatives are there to going to court?
Appearing in court may be the best choice for your situation, but there may be alternatives to consider. An experienced criminal defense lawyer can explain all the options available.
4. What are the possible outcomes?
Knowing the potential outcome of your case can help you prepare in advance. If the penalties could be severe, you have time to get your life in order before the process begins.
5. Who will handle my case?
As you interview criminal defense attorneys, ask about the people who will be working on your case. Will it be the attorney you're speaking with? Will it be a team with other experienced attorneys? Or will it be a fresh-faced new lawyer with little experience?
6. What will my role be in my case?
Asking about your role in your defense will help set you up for the best outcome possible. Your attorney may tell you there's not much you can do, or they may advise you to ask questions, be completely honest, and share your priorities.
7. How long have you practiced criminal law?
Good lawyers have had many years of experience, have won many cases and can tell their clients what to expect. The length of their career has allowed them to learn the tricks that prosecutors use.
8. What are your educational and professional credentials?
When you apply for a job, the application asks about your education. The same question applies here. You are looking to hire someone to do a job for you, so it's essential to find out their educational background.
9. What is your success rate?
Asking prospective criminal defense attorneys about their success rate will allow you to gauge how they measure success. Gaining an overall sense of how they have performed in their career will help you make the best choice.
10. Do you have any testimonials from past clients that I can read?
Attorneys typically have testimonials on their website. Online reviews can also help you understand how the attorney works with clients. You should still ask if they have testimonials not available online. Some receive cards and letters from thankful clients.
11. How often do your cases go to trial?
The answer to this question will reveal a couple of things.
A) How experienced the attorney is at court proceedings.
B) How experienced the attorney is at negotiating a plea deal.
12. How often do you appear in the courthouse that will hear my case?
Knowing how often your attorney appears in the courthouse that will hear your case is important. Frequent appearances in local courts allow the attorney to build working relationships with judges and other attorneys in that court.
13. How long will the process be?
The amount of time it takes for a case to conclude can vary widely. If the attorney has handled cases like yours in the past, he/she should be able to give you a general idea of how long your case could last.
14. How and how often will we communicate?
The best attorneys will give you their cell phone number and answer your calls 24/7. If they don't answer immediately, they will return your call quickly. If your prospective attorney doesn't communicate this way, let them know your expectations for communicating and be sure they agree.
15. How Much Will This Cost in total, and How Do Payments Work?
The cost of hiring a criminal defense attorney will depend on the attorney. Find out how they bill and how they expect payments to be made.
16. Who Do You Go to for Advice?
Attorneys often suggest alternative strategies to their clients, and many of these are valid and reasonable. Find out if your attorney has a trusted advisor or colleague with whom they discuss ideas and strategies.
17. Do you offer an initial consultation free of charge?
Many reputable lawyers offer free initial consultations. If your potential criminal defense attorney offers a free initial consultation, take advantage of it. Be prepared with your case details and a list of questions.
18. What issues have you had with past clients?
Let's face it; no one can make everybody happy all of the time. Sometimes attorneys have bad days, and sometimes they have bad clients. Asking this question will let you see how your
19. Can You Guarantee the Outcome of My Case?
If your potential criminal defense attorney says, "Yes!" he/she can guarantee the outcome of your case, walk away. There is no way an attorney can forecast the outcome because there is no way to know how the other side will prepare. All the attorney can guarantee is that they will do their best to protect your rights.
20. Did the Police Violate My Civil Rights?
The police are often accused of violating the constitutional rights of people suspected of committing crimes. Sometimes an attorney can use your interaction with the police to get your charges dismissed. Be sure to discuss the details of your arrest with your attorney so he/she can evaluate whether or not the police violated your rights.
21. Have You Ever Been Sanctioned For Professional Misconduct?
Since you are hiring this person to handle an upsetting situation for you, one that requires you to put your trust in his/her hands, you should find out if they have ever been disciplined for unprofessional behavior. Ask the question in person so the attorney can explain what happened.
22. Do You Have Any Conflicts of Interest?
You will share a lot of information during your initial consultation with an attorney. By the end of your discussion, the attorney should be able to identify if they have a conflict with your case. If he/she doesn't bring it up, ask if they have a conflict of interest.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
1. Does this attorney make you feel confident?
This is where your intuition comes in. Trust your gut. If you walk out of the consultation feeling like, "Wow! This lawyer is amazing!" then you will feel confident working with this person.
2. How does this attorney treat you?
How a criminal defense attorney treats you will help you gauge his or her personality. You should feel that your personal opinions and thoughts are heard and that the attorney cares about you and your feelings. This is important because you will be working together for some time. Guilty or not, you don't want an attorney that treats you like a criminal.
Being charged with a crime can be scary. Interviewing a few criminal defense attorneys and asking the questions listed here will give you a better chance of hiring a top criminal defense attorney. Take your time with the process. Use these questions to find an attorney you can relate to who will provide you with the best chance at the best possible outcome.
If you need an aggressive, experienced, committed criminal defense attorney, call The Law Offices of Marc E. Hart at 248-545-5290.
Mr. Hart offers a free consultation and is available 24/7 to respond in urgent circumstances.
"Marc definitely puts me at ease in my situation. He is very informative and honest. He answers (you) and has different alternatives for reaching him in a timely manner. Marc has kept his word and has been a pleasure to do business with. Out of the many lawyers I’ve needed I rank Marc truly among the best. 5 stars for sure."
- Joshua H.
- Joshua H.