The Process Of Getting A Criminal Defense Attorney Pittsburgh Pa Defendants Need To Know

By Alice Bursnell


If you find yourself charged in a court of law, your priority should be to get a good lawyer. The earlier you do this, the higher the chances of winning your case. While it may not be an absolute necessity to have them represent you for the minor cases having them available for consultation makes things a lot easier. There are a number of steps involved in choosing a criminal defense attorney Pittsburgh pa residents need to be aware of.

The first decision to be made is to choose between a private lawyer and a public defender. The latter is assigned to you by the court if you cannot afford private representation. Although private lawyers are quite expensive to hire and retain, they have hire success rates in winning cases compared to their public counterparts. The reasons for this are two fold; more resources and less workload.

The second category that you need to choose is between a state and a federal attorney. This will depend on whether you have committed a state or a federal crime. Federal cases are regarded as being more complex and require the expertise of an experienced lawyer. Cases that are dealt at this level include family disputes, traffic offenses and robberies among others. State cases usually revolve around contravention of the constitution, patent cases and bankruptcy among others.

There are a number of ways in which you can find a good lawyer. This may be done by getting in touch with attorney professional organizations that are closest to you. Most organizations have online directories that you can use to find telephone contacts. Another way of finding a lawyer is through referrals by friends or relatives who have been in similar situations.

Years of experience are an important consideration when choosing a lawyer. However, more years of practice do not necessarily translate into greater competence. Rather, successful defense of cases does. Choose a lawyer who has handled cases that are similar to yours successfully.

There may be several lawyers working for the firm representing you. What this means is that you may be represented by different lawyers at different times especially if your case lasts for a long period of time. Make it your responsibility to meet each of the lawyers dealing with your case in person. If you feel uncomfortable with any of them, inform the head of the firm so that a different one can be arranged for you.

The cost of hiring your lawyer of choice is greatly dependent on the complexity of the case. The more complexity a case is, the more you have to pay. This is mainly because such cases are time consuming and require a considerable amount of resources to see them through. The lawyer may charge you a flat rate or on an hourly basis. The latter arrangement is usually cheaper.

Your role as an accused person is to be as open as possible with your lawyer. Sit down with them before the commencement of the case and give them all the facts. Let them tell you how they intend to argue. If there are any ancillary services that will be needed (such as a private investigation), details of the same should be discussed at this point.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment