Many individuals in the United States have made mistakes and bad decisions that, while not ill-intentioned, have led to their being charged with a crime. These infractions are wide ranging from violating new state DUI laws to white collar crimes, as well as much more. In such situations, having a lawyer is a well-known necessity, but finding a good attorney can be difficult. Here are three ways to find the right lawyer for your case.
- Friends and Family: In the same way you would ask an Aunt who has beautiful teeth for the name of her dentist, you can ask family members and friends for their recommendations for a lawyer. That same Aunt might have needed a criminal DUI attorney years ago, making her an even more valuable source. Even loved ones that have never needed an attorney have friends that did, so it is a worthwhile endeavor to ask those you know.
- Advertisements: The array of ads for legal services can be quite useful, but they should be used with caution. An ad for a law firm will almost always emphasize their area of expertise, with some targeted at those who need a criminal DUI attorney and others for divorce and family law. A lawyer who works mostly with cases of the same nature as yours has knowledge that can greatly increase the chances of a positive outcome. However, always treat ads you see with a healthy dose of skepticism. Make sure you know what services the fees cover and understand that all cases are different, so a one size fits all price is often not possible.
- Online Directories: In our technology driven society, it should come as no surprise that there are several websites that provide a way to search for legal services while wearing your bathrobe. Not all of these are created equally, however. On the low end of the value scale, you will, at best, get the same list of names you would find in a phonebook. If you recycled that giant thing the moment you got it, such basic sites can be helpful. For those that want more personalized results, there are other online directories that, after obtaining basic information from you, will generate a filtered list of attorneys that specialize in the field you need, then have them call you. So, the next business day, or even same day, the perfect criminal DUI attorney could be calling you, a more pleasant prospect than cold calling a dozen lawyers yourself.
There are other ways to find an attorney, this list is only three of the more successful methods. Who you finally choose to represent you must be the right person, not simply the convenient one. So, keep searching until you find the perfect attorney for your needs.