Are you in trouble with the police? Have you been indicted and are now facing criminal charges and possible incarceration? If that is the case, you need to hire the services of a good criminal lawyer in Carrollton, Texas to help you avoid a prison sentence. Most people have no idea how to approach a criminal defense attorney in Carrollton, Texas, and this article is going to help you by highlighting the most important questions you should ask any criminal lawyer in Carrollton, Texas.

These questions will allow you to make a more educated and informed decision about hiring the best lawyer to choose as your criminal defense counsel. This is an important decision, and should never be taken lightly, which is why you should hire a criminal defense lawyer after meeting face to face. This will allow you to properly gauge whether the lawyer has the qualifications and experience to handle your case successfully. It will also allow you to feel comfortable with the lawyer, because developing a good working relationship with your criminal defense lawyer is vital to achieving a successful outcome.

So, here are the most important questions you should ask, when you are looking to hire a criminal defense lawyer in Carrollton, Texas:

1. Does the lawyer offer a free initial consultation?

It is important to ascertain what kind of services that lawyer is offering, which will mean that you must meet the lawyer face to face. A 5-minute phone conversation will not help you in this case, because the criminal defense attorney must have complete knowledge and understanding of the facts, to properly evaluate your case. So, ask for a free initial consultation, so that you can properly review the charges against you and any specific facts of the case on hand.

The criminal defense attorney must review the following in the initial consultation:

• The specific facts of the case, and the charges against you
• What happened that led to the arrest?
• Were your rights violated?
• What did the police do?
• What defenses do you have against the charges?
• Your criminal history – if you have a prior criminal record
• Your life history, including employment and education
• If you have faced any immigration issues in the past

The initial consultation is important, because it will allow your criminal defense attorney to properly understand the specifics of your case. They can then come up with the best strategy to proceed with in the defense of your case. It will also help you build a level of trust and comfort with the lawyer, before you go ahead and decide the legal fee and lawyer’s fee for your case.

2. Is the lawyer’s practice focused primarily on criminal law?

You should know beforehand, whether the lawyer’s practice is mainly focused on criminal law, because you will come across lawyers, who have acquired a law license to represent anyone in the State. Therefore, you should check whether the criminal defense attorney you chose to hire works with a specialist criminal defense law firm. You want to get the best criminal defense attorney in Carrollton, Texas, because your liberty, reputation, and future are at stake here.

So, when you are browsing the internet for a criminal lawyer, make sure that you check on their web page about their primary specialty. If they are focused on criminal defense law, there is a good chance that they have the necessary skills to represent you as a criminal defense attorney in Carrollton, Texas.

3. How much is the legal fee and do they offer payment plans?

Discussing legal fees and money can be sensitive, but if you want to hire the best criminal defense lawyer in Carrollton, Texas, you must expect their services to be expensive. You want to acquire the services of a lawyer that helps clear your name, but you don’t want to go bankrupt by hiring someone that creates a financial burden on you. Therefore, it is important that you discuss the legal fee and possible payment plans with the lawyer beforehand.

If the lawyer doesn’t provide you with a straight answer, this should set alarm bells ringing, because that could mean financial issues later. There are different ways in which criminal lawyers calculate their fee, as some could charge hourly, with an initial retainer, but this could amount to a lot of legal expenses, if your case drags on for months. You should look to work with a criminal defense attorney that offers a flat fee or fixed fee for their services. This will help you out because there isn’t going to be any surprises related to the legal fees later.

Avoid working with lawyers, who claim to let you know about the fee after the case progresses, or when they learn more about your case.

4. Does the lawyer have any experience with cases like mine?

This is an extremely important question, and one that you should ask your criminal defense lawyer in Carrollton, Texas before hiring them. It is best to work with criminal defense lawyers, who have prior experience in handling cases like yours. It will also put your mind at ease, knowing that the lawyer has handled cases like yours successfully, and can devise the best strategy to help win your case.

However, you should avoid working with a criminal defense lawyer in Carrollton, Texas, who gives you ‘guarantees’ of helping you win this case. There is no way that a lawyer can promise a result before looking at the details of your case, and even looking at the evidence of the party. Criminal defense attorneys can provide opinions about your case, but they can never offer you with guarantees since it is unethical and foolish.

 

5. Who in the firm will be handling my case?

There have been a lot of cases where people have retained big-shot criminal defense attorneys to help win their case, but they are nowhere to be found when the court date arrives. The law firm sends a young associate, straight out of law schools, who works for the big-shot lawyer you spoke with. That is when your case falls apart, because instead of the seasoned professional you hired, you are now being represented in court by someone who has no experience and no knowledge of your legal case.

You shouldn’t take any chances when you are hiring a criminal defense lawyer in Carrollton, Texas to fight your legal case in court. Therefore, ask them straight up, about who will be handling your case, because if they aren’t personally taking your case, then who is going to do it from the law firm? Most lawyers will not be expecting this question, and you may catch them off-guard. However, it will help you pick the best criminal defense attorney in Carrollton, to fight your case in court.

So, these 5 questions were the most important questions you should ask any criminal lawyer in Carrollton, Texas, before hiring them.