If you or a loved one has been accused of committing a criminal offense, it is very important that you move with speed and secure the services of a criminal defense lawyer to help you with your defense. This could help you avert some hefty fines or even time behind bars. But with TV adverts all over the place, it may be difficult to identify the best attorney for your case especially if this is your first time to hire such a solicitor. Prior to contracting any defense attorney Memphis TN people will find the following tips very beneficial.
As usual, the best approach when looking for any solicitor still remains word of mouth. In fact, word of mouth from a trusted friend is far much better than television or newspaper adverts. This does not however mean that you cannot search for your solicitor over the internet or from the phone-book. However, you need to be extra cautious when dealing with lawyers you met over the internet. This is because apart from the genuine solicitors, there is also a host of con-men posing on the internet as solicitors yet they are not.
You probably will not want your heart surgery to be performed by an orthopedic surgeon. This is despite the fact that he too is a qualified surgeon. This is because heart surgery is not his specialty. The same principle should also be applied in the case of attorneys. You should not hire a divorce lawyer or any other lawyer who is not a criminal defense specialist for that matter to handle your criminal defense case.
Unless the lawyer agrees to handle your case for free, you will also have to pay him for his services. This makes legal fee a very important factor in this process. Before the lawyer start defending you, you need to first agree on the legal fee and how it will be paid. You must never pay the lawyer full fee before the case is completed. If you have to make advance payment, it must not be more than ten percent of the agreed fee.
Most criminal related cases are usually very complex in nature. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you opt for a solicitor with experience. Ideally, you should never hire a lawyer with less than five years of experience under his / her belt unless your case is pretty straightforward in which case, you can hire a novice at a much lower price.
It is a legal requirement in Bartlett TN that all lawyers be licensed before they roll out their services regardless of their specialties. In fact, it is a crime to hire a lawyer who is not licensed. Furthermore, it will be much difficult to trace a lawyer who is not licensed in case the need to do so arise later on.
It is also important that you have full confidence in your lawyer. Remember that for him to defend you accordingly; you will need to reveal to him some very confidential information. This will only be possible if you have full confidence in him with such information.
Finding a good lawyer is definitely not something you can achieve overnight. You need a lot of time to consider all the options at your disposal. This is why it is very important that you commence the search several months in advance.
As usual, the best approach when looking for any solicitor still remains word of mouth. In fact, word of mouth from a trusted friend is far much better than television or newspaper adverts. This does not however mean that you cannot search for your solicitor over the internet or from the phone-book. However, you need to be extra cautious when dealing with lawyers you met over the internet. This is because apart from the genuine solicitors, there is also a host of con-men posing on the internet as solicitors yet they are not.
You probably will not want your heart surgery to be performed by an orthopedic surgeon. This is despite the fact that he too is a qualified surgeon. This is because heart surgery is not his specialty. The same principle should also be applied in the case of attorneys. You should not hire a divorce lawyer or any other lawyer who is not a criminal defense specialist for that matter to handle your criminal defense case.
Unless the lawyer agrees to handle your case for free, you will also have to pay him for his services. This makes legal fee a very important factor in this process. Before the lawyer start defending you, you need to first agree on the legal fee and how it will be paid. You must never pay the lawyer full fee before the case is completed. If you have to make advance payment, it must not be more than ten percent of the agreed fee.
Most criminal related cases are usually very complex in nature. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you opt for a solicitor with experience. Ideally, you should never hire a lawyer with less than five years of experience under his / her belt unless your case is pretty straightforward in which case, you can hire a novice at a much lower price.
It is a legal requirement in Bartlett TN that all lawyers be licensed before they roll out their services regardless of their specialties. In fact, it is a crime to hire a lawyer who is not licensed. Furthermore, it will be much difficult to trace a lawyer who is not licensed in case the need to do so arise later on.
It is also important that you have full confidence in your lawyer. Remember that for him to defend you accordingly; you will need to reveal to him some very confidential information. This will only be possible if you have full confidence in him with such information.
Finding a good lawyer is definitely not something you can achieve overnight. You need a lot of time to consider all the options at your disposal. This is why it is very important that you commence the search several months in advance.
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