Criminal Law Firm

A criminal law firm may be the only answer for someone caught in the web of law enforcement. Facing everything from DUI to treason, the accused will need a professional who knows her way around a courtroom. Attorneys do have a bad reputation but one is sitting in the defendant's chair, staring at what may appear to be a hostile jury, an expert barrister is as important as the next breath of air. A criminal law firm is lot like a cantaloupe; what one sees is not always what one gets, and so care must be taken in choosing one because reputation alone may not be the final need for a defendant. The place to start is with the crime for which one has been charged.

If a person has been charged with a misdemeanor, this is an offense of a lesser nature. In most cases it involves a fine, sometimes some time in a county jail and perhaps some community service. The jail times for a misdemeanor usually run from a few days to a few months, but often not for a first time offense. While a person's reputation may be harmed in just the filing of the charges, this is usually not of a nature that is life-threatening. In these cases, some defendants in misdemeanor cases may be more inclined to choose less expensive solo attorneys than one from a criminal law firm. It is not an across the board principle, but often solo criminal defense attorneys do not have the expense that legal firms will have. A group of attorneys must pay for administrative, paralegal, often advertising and investigatory help while the solo barrister may only have an administrative assistant.

When the stakes are raised with more serious crimes called felonies, there is often the imminent foreboding of a long time in jail, and sometimes the specter of the death penalty that propels a person to the consideration of using a highly successful criminal law firm for the defense. Highly publicized trials have raised the names of a number of trial lawyers to the household name status. In many cases, from that day forward, these attorneys are able to command millions of dollars in defense fees. Even the associates belonging to their firm can also demand higher fees just based on the association factor. An attorney once stood and asked Jesus what the greatest commandment of God was. Jesus answered him,"...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might." (Matthew 22:37)

Most legal experts advise not waiting to engage legal counsel in a serious criminal matter like a felony. Once a defendant has been read his Miranda rights, he need not speak another word to a police officer until first speaking with a member of a criminal law firm or solo defense attorney. But even in this situation, members of one's family, if they are involved in this circumstance, should do some careful choosing in getting the right lawyer for the situation. Cost will obviously be a factor in the decision for many defendants. Unfortunately, the American legal system has developed to the place where the poor cannot usually afford the most experienced and successful attorney from a well know criminal law firm. At times, an attorney from the public defender's office who is over worked and very much under paid is the lawyer of choice.

When questioning an attorney, one of the first questions ought to be the cost. The attorney will want to know all about the case to extract from the story her basic fee estimate. And while the defendant will want the finest counsel possible, the economics may not be on his side. Lawyers from a criminal law firm may often charge a flat fee, especially if the charge is not going to produce a lot of hours of prep and court time. On the other hand, a two or three week trial may involve extensive investigation ahead of time, and perhaps the use of expert witnesses may drive the cost of defense to stratospheric heights. In the initial inquiry with the attorney, ways of paying can be explored to ascertain if her costs are within reach. Questions about one's experience will also need to be asked.

Perhaps where the attorney went to school, her toughest case, what her mentor taught her about the practice of law could all be fair questions in the vetting process. After all, in the end when all is said and done, more important than money is the need for many defendants to know that their defender is really interested in the case. Of course, a criminal law firm that is hired may provide a cold hearted attorney that gets the defendant off, but for many accused there needs to be an emotional connection with the barrister that can provide a modicum of trust in her tactics. There are cold hearted attorneys who are successful, and there are more personable and caring ones that are just as successful so a person ought to choose the type of lawyer with whom one is most comfortable. Remember that attorneys have a state bar association where complaints about conduct and mismanagement of one's case can be filed. A phone call to the bar association once an attorney has been chosen is a good idea to pursue for final peace of mind.