Don't Put Off Hiring a Criminal Attorney

When you are arrested for a committing a crime, don't panic and make the mistake of rushing to hire any attorney you see. Even though time is of the essence, it is necessary for you to exercise some discretion when you are ready a criminal attorney. If this is your first time in a situation like this, you need to be thorough in who you hire and take your time weeding through them.

Even though you may have a limited amount of money available, don't just spend your time interviewing criminal attorneys who don't charge for the initial consultation. Some great lawyers may charge a nominal fee for you to meet with them. Remember your goal is to be focused on finding a criminal attorney who is capable of handling your case and resolving it in the manner you seek.

Treat meeting a prospective attorney for your case like a formal occasion. This means unless you are currently sitting in jail, you should take the time to make sure you are presentable to your lawyer. Dress in formal attire, you don't have to wear a suit, however you should make sure that you are dressed in a manner that shows how serious you are about the time you are going to spend interviewing the criminal attorney. If something comes up where you can't make it to your consultation, be polite and contact the law firm to reschedule. Try to give as much notice as possible.

During your consultation, make sure you spend the majority of the time discussing your case, a plan of action and learning more about how that attorney can represent you. Don't withhold any information or try to minimize any details about your case, be honest so the attorney knows what he is dealing with. Don't bring up the issue about money and fees until everything about your case has been discussed and any other questions you have are been answered.

If you find that you want to hire them, you need to be completely honest about your financial situation. This is not the time to try and negotiate a cheaper fee. You have already explained to the attorney that you are in violation of the law. If you really want to utilize their services but may not have all of the money upfront, let them know. Ask them if they are willing to work out some kind of payment arrangement which will allow you to get your case resolved and give you more time to pay.

Be honest about what you can afford to pay upfront and don't try to lowball. You will find that many criminal attorneys are pretty reasonable about their fees. Keep in mind that a good attorney may cost more that you initially anticipated and you shouldn't let that deter you. Remember, the most important thing is to clear your name to protect your life and prevent damage to your reputation and criminal record which can great reduce your employment opportunities and income in the future.

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