How Do I Choose A Good Lawyer?

There are many lawyers who practice federal criminal defense work. Some are expensive and some are inexpensive. The key in making a good choice in hiring a federal criminal defense lawyer is to determine their experience level and balance that against the backdrop of the costs involved.

A fair price for services is not going to be cheap in federal criminal defense work. Many lawyers say they practice federal law but have only done a few cases. You need to know how many cases have actually been done by that lawyer and what their experience is, not only with federal criminal defense litigation but Federal Sentencing Guidelines and sentencing mitigation should you be convicted of a crime.

Most cases are resolved through plea bargaining and it is important to understand your attorney’s experience not only in the litigation process in protecting your case for pretrial and trial purposes but also for the possibility that a plea agreement might be the only alternative.

It is also important to get along with your attorney and know that your attorney is not making you promises they cannot fulfill simply to be retained. A good attorney will tell you the truth about the federal system, about the guidelines, and be aggressive in using what evidence they can to help you overcome any charge at trial or mitigate the outcome of a conviction or plea.