How to Choose a San Diego Criminal Defense Lawyer?

Hiring a criminal defense lawyer should be viewed as an investment in your future, as your freedom is often on the line when accused of committing a crime.  Resist the urge to base your decision on “cost,” and focus instead on “value” and key differentiators between competing firms.  Understand that this decision will not only impact you and your family emotionally and financially today, but tomorrow, and likely for years to come, even after the case is over.

Not all criminal defense attorneys are the same. Not all criminal defense law firms are the same. You must make sure you do your homework when it comes time to hiring the best, locally experienced, criminal defense law firm you can possibly afford.  This blog provides some tips when selecting the right criminal defense law firm for your case to help protect your freedom and future.

How Responsive is the Firm? Make sure the Firm you hire is responsive to your questions and concerns within a reasonable time.  Dealing with criminal charges is stressful and frightening enough.  Having an unresponsive law firm that is supposed to be guiding you through the process will only add to your feelings of stress and anxiety.

Does the Firm Only Handle Criminal Defense Matters?  There is a saying that “the Jack of All Trades is the King of Nothing,” and that often applies to lawyers who stretch themselves, and their experience, too thin by failing to focus on a specific area of law (like criminal defense).  Firms that solely focus on criminal defense are more likely to be regularly involved in criminal law and stay up to date on the nuances of criminal law and will be able to provide you with the best possible defenses, no matter the charge.

Does the Firm Have a Professional Appearance and Demeanor?  The attorney or attorneys representing you are a representative of you.  If they are unprofessional in their demeanor and/or dress, that will look poorly on you as much as it does them.  Further, if an attorney is indifferent to their own appearance and wellbeing, how do you think they are going to handle what’s in your best interests? Remember the old saying “how you do anything is how you do everything”?

Are they Locally Experienced? It will be to your benefit to hire a locally experienced criminal defense firm.  Hiring a locally experienced firm should ensure the attorney(s) will also know most, if not all, the key judges and prosecutors and should be able to utilize that familiarity to ensure you receive the best possible outcome for your case.  Akin to the concept of not all law firms being created equal, neither are the different courthouses in San Diego.  How a case may resolve downtown San Diego is different than how a similar case would resolve in Vista.  Certain procedures may vary from the Chula Vista (South Bay) Courthouse to El Cajon.

How Does the Law Firm Make You Feel? It’s also important to assess how you feel after speaking with a criminal defense law firm you may be considering hiring.  Did the firm/attorney make you feel confident they can handle your matter at a high level?  If so, what was that confidence based on? Prior experience and verified results?  Legitimate, peer reviewed accolades and honors?  Did they make you feel more at ease from the first phone contact? Were they able to relate to you and your situation or did you come away from the encounter feeling you were treated the same way by the cops and courts?

Learn more about what to consider when hiring a criminal defense law firm, even ours, from Managing Partner, David P. Shapiro.

If you or a loved one is facing criminal charges and wants to learn more about the many things to consider when hiring a criminal defense law firm to maximize your chances at obtaining the best outcome possible, give us a call today at (619) 295-3555 to set up a case evaluation with one of our attorneys.

The contents of this article and blog are meant for informational and marketing purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Viewing and/or use of the blog does not form an attorney-client relationship. No statements in this post are a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of a particular result in your case.