Whether you decide to retain my services or those of another criminal defense lawyer, you should attempt an early understanding of the professional relationship between you and your lawyer.
While many people believe that once they have hired a criminal lawyer, the lawyer will do everything necessary to handle their case nothing could be farther from the truth.
Retaining a Lawyer Only the First StepHiring a lawyer is just the first step in creating a criminal defense team. At times, in less serious cases, the “legal team” will consist of just you and the lawyer. In more complex and more serious cases the criminal defense team will include others such as legal assistants, investigators, accountants, consulting experts, and the like.
Every member on the team, especially the defendant, has certain and specific responsibilities to fulfill in order to make certain that the criminal defense case has as successful a result as possible.
Why Searching for the Right Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer is Difficult? A Guide for What to Look for the Assignment of Responsibilities in a Criminal Defense Case 1. What Will the Criminal Defense Lawyer be Responsible For?The lawyer will use his or her specialized legal knowledge of criminal law and skill in the courtroom to advise and represent you at every stage of the criminal case and specifically on the different courses of action available and the possible consequences of each course of action.
Ongoing and constant advice means that the client can make the decisions about how your case or legal matter should proceed. The lawyer does not expect to make major decisions about your matter that is your responsibility.
2. What Will I be Responsible for in my Criminal Case?Your criminal defense lawyer expects you to be truthful and as complete as possible about the facts of your case. Not only does holding back information prevent the lawyer from giving you the best advice, it is dangerous.
Your criminal defense lawyer may ask you to locate documents, witnesses and other people that are important to your case. You may also have to pay for incidentals such as the costs of serving subpoenas and additional investigator to counter the state’s evidence.
The Need for Constant ContactYour criminal defense lawyer will want to know how to maintain regular contact with you. You would be surprised by the number of clients who move or change telephone numbers and forget to tell their lawyers. You should always exchange emails, cell and home phone numbers and if you have an IPAD, IPHONE or other type of smart phone — it is a great tool to stay in close touch when questions arise
The Need to be AvailableYour criminal defense lawyer will need and expect you to make adjustments to your schedule to meet with the lawyer or attend legal proceedings, such as statements, proffers of evidence, court hearings and of course the trial, as necessary.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive, your job on your legal team will depend on the nature of your criminal defense case and the expectations of your particular criminal defense lawyer.
3. How Will I Know What My Lawyer Expects of Me?At one of your first meeting with your lawyer, you will need to make clear your agreement about the following:
Some lawyers charge a minimum fee for returning calls while others do not charge their clients. You should be certain that you understand what your lawyer’s policies are and that you are comfortable with them.
4. Speak to at Least Three Lawyers Free ConsultationsYou should interview at least three lawyers before making a decision on who to retain. If a lawyer refuses to discuss how he or she works or will actually handle your matter, move on to the next lawyer. But if several lawyers tell you the same things, chances are that you may have to adjust your expectations.
5. What Do I Need to do to Have a Successful Lawyer/Client Team?The answer to this is simple and straightforward.
Once a potential client has made an appointment with an attorney, the client should prepare for the first meeting. The client should gather together all documents and evidence relating to the case and bring them to the first meeting. It may be helpful to both the client and the attorney if the client brings to the meeting a written, chronological account of the matter in dispute.
7. A Great List of Questions for Your Lawyer InterviewA client may also put together a set of questions designed to help determine whether the attorney is right for the job. The following is a list of helpful questions that a person hiring an attorney may consider asking:
A client may think that certain elements of the attorney-client relationship are more important than others. For people with less money, attorney fees may be a deciding factor.
Clients who do not need to consider money as the primary factor may wish to find an attorney who has the best reputation in the particular field of law. Other clients may place a greater emphasis on personal rapport with the attorney.
Still other clients may seek a certain type of attorney based on the nature of the client’s desired representation. For example, if a client seeks an attorney to take to trial a serious felony charge, he or she may seek an aggressive, very experienced, high-profile attorney who specializes in trial work.
9. The High Cost of Bad Advice and The Difference Between Advice and InformationSome lawyers may give small amounts of information over the phone without charge. Information is different from advice. Advice is legal information given to a person along with a recommended course of action.
The critical difference is this when a lawyer gives legal advice, the attorney is liable for malpractice especially if the advice is erroneous. Attorneys are hesitant to give legal advice, and expose themselves to liability, without charging a fee to cover that risk.
10. The Reason to Press Your Lawyer For AnswersPlease try to remember that when you press the lawyer for answers.. They really want to help you — but they may be hesitant to go too far in their free consultation.
Why Searching for the Right Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer is DifficultAbout the Author: H. Michael Steinberg, Email The Author. A Denver Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer or call his office at 303-627-7777 during business hours or call his cell if you cannot wait and need his immediate assistance 720-220-2277.
H. Michael Steinberg is an aggressive Colorado criminal defense lawyer with over 42 years of Colorado Criminal Law experience. He is not looking to negotiate a plea in every case. He is looking for the best possible outcome, based on all the facts and evidence, so that you can get on with your life.
“I believe that I can help people who are in need and deliver the kind of quality legal service to clients they expect.”
- H. Michael Steinberg
Please call H. Michael if you have any questions about the topic in this case Why Searching for the Right Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer is Difficult.