Do you find yourself in a situation that has led to criminal charges being filed against you? This can be a major turning point in your life if not handled with care. You must work towards acquiring an established criminal defense attorney in Cobb County, GA – this equips you with a possibly strong source of legal support. The trauma and negative effects of criminal charges will definitely shake you off your career and social life path. But with a top-notch lawyer, the diversion can be evaded and you will stand a chance to lead a normal life again.
The process of choosing a suitable criminal defense attorney must be followed by keeping in mind several points of importance. Your lawyer’s education, experience, courtroom presence, personality, portfolio, certifications in law practices, etc. can make the world of a difference in the eventual outcome of your case. We have jotted down some beneficial points that you must consider when looking for a Cobb County defense attorneys, or any criminal attorneys as a matter of fact.
Identify whether you are charged for a felony or misdemeanor–
Criminal lawyers for misdemeanor charges vary greatly from those who handle serious felony cases. Before digging into portfolios of lawyers you need to get a crystal-clear understanding of your requirements.
Misdemeanor charges would comprise of a sentence or probation consisting of not more than one year. As long as you obediently follow the punishments by legal authorities, you can expect reduced and less stringent sentences. Crimes such as minor theft, harassment, mischief, unlawful conduct in public spaces, etc. would come under the category of misdemeanors.
Felonies are much more serious in nature and their sentences are in most cases above one year. Crimes under this category would be murder, fraud, trafficking, high-scale robbery, etc.
You need to figure out which category does your crime under and choose a criminal defense lawyer in accordance with the same.
Study your shortlisted lawyer’s testimonials, reviews, and case conversion ratio –
Do thorough research on your prospective lawyers. Look for their digital footprints and verify the authenticity of their testimonials and client reviews. Read up on their cases and get an idea of their case-solving pipeline.
Get in touch with people who have worked with them and verify their credibility in the field. Another fruitful piece of research would be to find out the kind of criminal cases they have worked on. If these cases fall directly into the category that you find yourself in then you are a step closer to boiling down on one lawyer.
Personality and Responsiveness –
A lawyer’s personality must be one that is strong and commands attention. Undoubtedly, lawyers who display high levels of confidence, desirable communication skills, and meaningful legal lingo, would radiate conviction in the court. One face-to-face meeting or detailed phone call should give you an idea of your lawyer’s personality.
Speaking of responsiveness, you want to make sure that your criminal defense attorney in Cobb County GA or elsewhere is quick to answer your queries and solve your worries. A lawyer who can assure you to prioritize your case and not drop the ball on the proceedings will increase the chances of clearing your criminal records or reduce the penalties, if at all. You can analyze the responsiveness factor by researching your lawyer’s average case turnover time.
Knowledge of law practices –
Grill your lawyer with possible case scenarios and questions pertaining to your case. Cook up complicated situations and test your lawyer’s knowledge in the field. Hesitant replies and unsure answers will give you an idea of how strong is your lawyer’s expertise within the field that your case demands. Brainstorm the possible prison-sentence reduction, probation, social service, and charge dropping options with your lawyer.
If you feel that he/she is making sense and their suggestions can be materialized to your benefits, then you can prioritize this lawyer to ones who gave you skeptical answers.
Clarity in fee structure –
This factor can save you a lot of money and bring clarity as to precisely what services are you entitled too. Lawyers demand payment on a per meeting or a retainer basis. Choose a comfortable medium and frequency of payment initially so that at a later date all efforts can be focused on relieving your criminal charges, and not on payment issues.
Over and above all, decide how many hours of consultation are included in the quotation and what will the charges be post exhausting these hours. Will phone calls be counted? Are paper-filing charges included? Do you have to pay for your lawyer’s travel? Clarity on these questions can save you thousands of dollars.
The only chance you have at regaining control over your social and corporate life post being charged with a criminal offense is by hiring an apt and highly relevant criminal defense lawyer. Do not drop the ball during your search as once you have secured the ideal lawyer, all your worries and required efforts will be cut-down by five-fold.
