If you have been charged with a crime you know by now that hiring the right lawyer can make all the difference. But where do you start and how can you tell good lawyers from bad lawyers?
- Read Online Reviews
- Online reviews are the best place to begin your search for a criminal lawyer. Online reviews are generally accurate. It is a good place to read the good and the bad about a particular lawyer. Today, the major search companies have strict guildelines and use very complex filters to keep online reviews accurate. Also, you should know that almost all states forbid lawyers from posting fake or misleading reviews. Another great thing about online reviews sometimes clients want to tell others about the great job a criminal defense attorney did but are too embarrassed to tell friends and family and only feel comfortable telling people online.
- Talk To Friends
- Friends and family are great sources of information when it comes to hiring a criminal lawyer. If your not too embarrassed asking people you know is a good start. You might want to rethink asking you boss.
- Find Someone that Was on the Other Side
- Lawyers make a big deal about being a former prosecutor because it is a big deal. Prosecutors get experience in trying a variety of cases. Prosecutors have to prove each every element of every criminal charge. Having been a prosecutor I can sometimes spot the shortcomings in the prosecutors cases and use that to my clients advantage.
- Experience Matters
- If you are charged with even a small crime the consequences may be harsh. Finding a lawyer that has handled cases like yours (remember all cases are different and unique) is a must. Reading about the lawyer’s past outcomes is a good place to see if the lawyer has handled a case like yours.
- Knows the Court
- The lawyer you trust with your case should have experience with the court that is going to hear your case. Judges vary from lenient to harsh and a lawyer experienced with the court will know how to bet argue your case. Sometimes local is better.
Patrick Donovan is a Massachusetts criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. Attorney Donovan has experience in over fifty Massachusetts courts and has defended people charged with felony and misdemeanor crimes. Attorney Donovan fights to get the best possible outcome for each of clients. If you or someone you know has been charged with a crime in Massachusetts contact criminal lawyer Patrick Donovan for a free no obligation consultation.
