If you are someone close to you are charged with a criminal offense, selecting the right lawyer can be very important. It may turn out to be the hardest part of the nightmare, there will be issues such as availability, fee and experience to be taken into account. As important as these issues, the relationship between the criminal lawyer in Cambridge MD, his staff and you is also important. You will be spending a lot of time together so all parties must feel comfortable with the other.
When looking for a criminal lawyer in Cambridge MD, take the following steps:
1. Focus and concentration: Make sure the lawyer you get concentrates in the area of law that you have been charged with breaking. Many criminal attorneys handle all criminal cases but many have the predisposition to concentrate their practice in a more specific area of criminal law. Some will focus their attention on rape cases, others many concentrate on murder and homicide. At times, finding this specialist will be impossible so make sure the lawyer is willing to take time to study the circumstances of your case and present a credible defense.
2. Public defenders: Public defenders are almost exclusively reserved to defend people who cannot afford to hire a private criminal lawyer in Cambridge MD. With the case loads they carry, they have little time to devote to the case, resulting in poorer presentation of the case and less justice. The public defender will be a passionate lawyer but with hundreds of cases to deal with he will be overwhelmed and not give you the representation that the constitution says is your right.
3. What is important: Do you want a young, budding lawyer who will work hard to get you exonerated or do you want a seasoned lawyer with outstanding credentials? Does your situation demand a lawyer with a specific area of expertise?
4. Ask friends: Find out if any of your friends have had experiences with a criminal lawyer, and if so, what were they, good or bad. This is not the time to hire someone who does not have criminal law experience.
5. What organizations: lawyers usually belong to various organizations, at minimum, the lawyer should belong to both the county and state bar associations. If he belongs to any specific associations where criminal law is the focus, this at least proves you are on the right track.
6. Who will plead the case: Find out if it will be the criminal lawyer in Cambridge MD that you are talking to that will plead your case or will it be a junior member of the firm. Find out the fee structure for the various paralegals and researchers’ and find out what happens if the attorney becomes unexpectedly unavailable.
There is no list anywhere of who are the best lawyers. The best lawyer for you is one you can afford and one who gives you confidence in his ability and motivation.
