How to Find the Best Criminal Defense Attorney For You
The following is taken from an interview with Richmond criminal attorney Michael Kiely as he discusses how to find the best legal representation for your case. Call today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your case.
How Can I Find The Best Criminal Defense Attorney For Me?
I equate it to searching for a doctor. You not only want to know about the credentials but you also need to be able to establish a personal relationship with your attorney. You need to be comfortable communicating with your attorney and feel that your attorney is always keeping your best interests in mind.
What Factors Should I Consider When Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney?
Primarily I would look at experience. What is the experience level of the attorney, what sort of knowledge do they have of the local area where the charges are. Again, particularly in the Richmond area, knowing the specific jurisdiction is extremely important. Knowing the prosecutor’s office, knowing the judges is a huge advantage. In addition, what experience does the attorney have handling your type of case.
What Factors Do You Consider to be Important to Building a Strong Attorney Client Relationship?
Communication. It’s a simple answer, but it really comes down to being able to having an open and honest communication.
You have to be able to develop a relationship with your client by being receptive to their concerns and their wishes. You have to understand their fears and anxiety over the issues because again these are all stressful cases for folks. But you also have to be able to give your client an honest assessment of their case and what punishments they are facing.
Why is Trust So Important Between an Attorney and Their Client?
I think it’s paramount because in order to handle a case properly, in order to properly represent a client, an attorney has to be able to communicate with their client. There’s nothing that can lose a case quicker than a breakdown in communication between an attorney and their client.
There has to be a level of trust between the parties. If I cannot trust what my client tells me and they fail to communicate with me, I may not be able to provide a solid defense of their case.
How Do You Strive to Build a Strong Attorney Client Relationship?
I try right away, whether it’s an in-person meeting or phone meeting, to learn a lot about their background, to learn about what it is that lead to the current situation the find themselves in. Are there substance abuse issues, family issues etc. more extreme, drug issue or something like that at issue.
I then try to determine what their priorities are. Learn about their family and professional life. Basically establish a level of trust that we can communicate freely about everything involving the case and its possible outcomes.
