Criminal charges can result in serious penalties in Texas, including incarceration, whether you are a first-time offender or have a prior arrest record. The lawyer you hire to defend you from these charges may hold the key to obtaining a fair outcome in your case.
However, many defendants in criminal cases have never hired a lawyer before. They might not understand exactly what a lawyer does or what distinguishes a good one from the rest. As you search for the right lawyer to handle your case in Fort Worth, make sure you consider these six key factors:
1. Experience
Experience matters when choosing a lawyer — but general legal experience alone is not enough. Look for a lawyer with experience handling cases similar to yours.
For example, a lawyer who has 30 years of experience handling traffic tickets might handle your reckless driving charge perfectly. However, if you face domestic violence or drug charges, you might want to look elsewhere.
Experienced lawyers have connections with expert witnesses who can help you build your defense. They also know which arguments prosecutors, judges, and jurors find persuasive and how to cross-examine the witnesses against you. These lawyers even know which bail agencies are trustworthy.
Discuss the lawyer’s experience defending clients with similar charges at your consultation. More importantly, ask about specific outcomes. Over 98% of federal charges and 95% of state charges end with a plea bargain. If you want to take your case to trial, make sure the lawyer has a jury trial track record that will help them present your case in court.
2. Communication Skills
A lawyer’s primary role is to represent your interests and argue for the most favorable outcome supported by the facts and the law.
To fulfill this role, your lawyer must:
- Negotiate with prosecutors
- Advocate before judges
- Explain facts and concepts to jurors
- Interview witnesses
A lawyer must have strong communication skills to accomplish all these tasks effectively. As you interview lawyers during initial consultations, listen carefully to their ability to analyze and explain complex concepts. If you cannot follow their explanations or find gaps in their reasoning, the chances are good that a prosecutor, judge, or juror might notice the same problems.
3. Track Record
Every case is unique. The outcome of a prosecution will depend on many factors, including the particular charges and the facts of the case. Still, lawyers can develop a set of effective strategies that help them obtain consistent outcomes in certain types of cases. As a result, their track record may reflect a steady number of successes among those case types.
For example, a lawyer might have a track record of winning DUI cases after gathering studies and expert analyses showing the unreliability of breath alcohol tests. Similarly, a lawyer with a background in accounting might more readily understand and explain the complex details of white-collar criminal cases compared to someone without an affinity for numbers.
Many lawyers list their notable cases on their websites. Discuss these cases with lawyers you interview, and ask them how their prior record might help them with your case.
4. Legal Strategy
You should discuss possible legal strategies with the lawyers you interview. This discussion should include a frank analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of your case. As your legal advisor, your lawyer must offer an objective analysis of your case so that you can make informed decisions about how to proceed.
Do not worry about making potentially damaging admissions to the lawyer. You are protected by attorney-client confidentiality when you seek legal advice. This means that the lawyer cannot use or disclose the information you provide.
As you talk about legal strategies, try to make sure the lawyer understands your situation. A good lawyer will take your goals and concerns into account when crafting a legal strategy.
For example, suppose that you face charges for soliciting prostitution. You might need to avoid pleading guilty to any offense that requires sex offender registration if you are a single parent of young children. Such a plea bargain might prevent you from dropping your kids off at school and expose you and your children to ostracism and exclusion from youth events.
5. Cost
Regardless of how awkward you might feel about discussing fees, cost is an important consideration when hiring a lawyer. Criminal defense attorneys in Texas cannot offer to handle your criminal case for a contingency fee. Instead, the lawyer will charge either a flat fee or an hourly fee, depending on your charges and the amount of work the lawyer anticipates.
Hourly fees are the most common type of fee for criminal defense lawyers. The lawyer will quote a price per hour and bill you periodically for the time spent on your case. Flat fees are possible for some criminal charges, though. Lawyers typically charge a flat fee for cases that involve a predictable amount of work.
In addition to discussing legal fees, ask about litigation expenses. These are costs that the lawyer anticipates requiring to handle your case. For instance, in criminal cases, one of the biggest litigation expenses can be expert witness fees. If the lawyer anticipates hiring an expert witness to analyze evidence and testify at trial, you can expect to pay that witness’s fees.
6. Accessibility
Lawyers can get busy. At the same time, you are entitled to receive regular case updates. Your freedom hinges on the outcome of your case, and you should expect your lawyer to keep you in the loop about any plea offers or other developments in your case.
Ask about the lawyer’s policy on updating you about your case. You should also let the lawyer know about your expectations for receiving responses to emails and phone messages.
Finally, you want to find out who you can talk to in the firm about your case. Lawyers often have staff members, such as legal secretaries or paralegals, who you can reach more easily than the lawyer and have just as much information about your case.
Finding a Lawyer for Your Case
As you begin your search for a lawyer, try to get referrals from past or current clients. They have direct experience working with the lawyer and can provide insight into their skill at handling clients. If you cannot find anyone who can refer you to a lawyer, try searching legal directories or even calling your local bar association’s lawyer referral service.
Connect With a Skilled Criminal Defense Attorney Today
You can face the fight of your life after prosecutors charge you with a crime. With your freedom and your future on the line, you need a legal advocate you can trust to handle your case with the utmost care and skill.
The seasoned team at Cofer Luster Criminal Defense Lawyers has a proven track record of success and exceptional service. For a case evaluation, contact us online or call (682) 777-3336.
