If you have been accused of a crime, it is generally in your best interest to hire the service of a criminal defense attorney. Whether the case goes to trial or not, a criminal defense attorney can help you negotiate with the prosecution and navigate the shaky terrain of criminal law. Throughout the course of this brief guide, you will have a few frequently asked questions about criminal defense attorneys answered.
Why Does A Lawyer Ask For More Money Than You Technically Owe Up Front?
This is a perfectly legal practice. When a lawyer requests that you pay more money up front for their services, whether it is a flat fee or on an hourly basis, the amount that they officially charge can go straight to them for services rendered, but the excess amount that you are paying will go into a trust. The remaining amount will go back to you once your dealings with the attorney have ended. There are a few reasons why lawyers do this. Perhaps the most prominent reason is that occasionally lawyers do not plan on spending much time on a case, yet will wind up working with you in a more thoroughgoing manner. They will withdraw the deposit that you have given them into their own private account rather than continuously ask you for more money. This will ensure that they get paid and that you will have services rendered as requested.
How Can You Tell If Your Lawyer Is Legitimate?
Your first duty should be to go to your particular state's bar website. Many websites use a search function that will allow you to search for a lawyer by name, and will include their professional data, including their contact information, on what date they were licensed to practice in your particular state, education history, an identification number, and whether or not a lawyer is currently eligible to practice law in your current state.
Can You Change Attorneys After You Have Hired One For A Criminal Case?
So long as the attorney is a private criminal defense attorney, you have every right to change your lawyer, even if you are in the middle of a trial. You do not have to have the state's permission and a defendant does not have to justify his or her decision.
Hopefully, you have had a few questions answered about criminal defense attorneys. If you have any more questions regarding a criminal defense attorney, it is recommended that you speak with a local and trusted criminal defense attorney him- or herself. Contact a law office, such as Rosselli & Abramovitz, LLC, for more information.
