
Top Questions to Ask a Defense Lawyer in San Diego
If you face a criminal charge in California, hiring the right defense attorney is essential. However, finding the right criminal defense lawyer for you isn’t an easy task.
You want to find a lawyer who is successful, whose personality meshes with your own, and whom you can trust.
Here are our tips for finding the right criminal defense lawyer for you. If you have any questions, or would like to speak with a San Diego criminal defense lawyer, contact us online or call (619) 598-1703 today.
Which Lawyers in My Area Handle My Type of Case?
To find lawyers in your area that handle your type of potential case, you should start your search with online search engines such as Google.
You should use keywords such as your location and the type of crime you’ve been charged with.
For example, search “San Diego DUI attorney” if charged with DUI in San Diego.
How Do I Know If a Lawyer Has a High Success Rate?
Positive ratings and good client reviews usually mean that a lawyer has a high success rate.
Read Client Reviews
You should take the time to thoroughly read client reviews either on the lawyer’s website or on Google.
Client reviews give you insight into what a prior client liked or disliked about the lawyer’s services.
However, simply because the lawyer has a bad review or two does not mean that they are not a good attorney.
Carefully read the negative reviews to try and determine if the negative review has merit or not.
Sometimes clients are impossible to please and they lash out with negative reviews that may not accurately portray the attorney’s true work on the case.
Client reviews can be incredibly helpful because they can raise a red flag if there are a number of negative reviews.
However, positive reviews generally mean that the lawyer is successful because the clients were satisfied with the lawyer’s handling of their case.
Review Legal Directory Websites
Reviewing legal directory websites, such as Avvo, can help you determine whether a lawyer has a high success rate.
Avvo allows you to search attorneys in your area by practice area. It contains attorneys’ ratings, reviews, and experience.
Additionally, legal directory websites are third-party sites, meaning that there is less potential for bias.
Search Lawyers on the California State Bar Website
The California State Bar website has a directory of all lawyers in California where you can search for an attorney by name.
The State Bar website contains the attorney’s up-to-date contact information, date of admission to the State Bar, and disciplinary history.
Any disciplinary history on the attorney’s Bar website directory is a red flag and should be carefully examined by the potential client.
What Questions Should I Ask During My Initial Consultation?
The initial consultation allows you to meet with the attorney in person and discuss your case before making any financial commitment.
Some key questions to ask during your initial consultation include:
- How long have you been practicing criminal law?
- What types of criminal law cases do you handle?
- How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
- How much courtroom experience do you have?
- How many jury trials have you done?
- How often do your clients’ charges get reduced or dropped?
- Do you have a relationship with prosecutors?
- Will you handle my case from start to finish?
- How do you calculate your fees?
- What are your fees for cases like mine?
Asking the right questions can help you figure out which criminal defense attorney is the best fit for you.
Why Should I Contact the Criminal Defense Attorneys at the Law Offices of Kerry L. Armstrong, APLC?
You should contact the criminal defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Kerry L. Armstrong, APLC, because we will do whatever we can to protect your future.
We have been to jury trials well over 100 times, and we don’t shy away from complex and challenging cases.
Contact us online or call (619) 598-1703 today for your free consultation to find out more about our defense team.