How Do I Find the Right Criminal Attorney Near Me?

Whether your asking “best criminal attorney near me?” or “criminal defense attorneys nears me” this easy and helpful guide will make your search for a criminal lawyer simpler.

An easy way to start is with a Google Search using keywords describing your needs like “criminal lawyer in los Angeles”, “criminal defense attorney in Pasadena”, “best criminal defense lawyer near me”. You can also contact the local Bar Association for an Attorney referral.

Once you have located a few potential Attorneys, the next step is to confirm that the Attorney holds an active license to practice law in the State of California. The State Bar of California’s website is a great resource to use when researching any Attorney. On the State Bar of California’s website there is an Attorney search page where you can type in the name of any Attorney in California and find important information about the attorney. The State Bar of California will list all of the contact information for the Attorney, the areas of practice, the schools, both undergraduate and law school, when the Attorney was admitted to practice law and if there have been any disciplinary actions taken against the Attorney. If an attorney has been disciplined, find out the reasons for the discipline. Finally, go to a highly neutral and credible website like Martindale.com, that measures an attorney’s legal ability and ethical standards by trial judges and other attorneys who anonymously rate an attorney. An attorney who holds an AV Pre-eminent 5.0 out of 5.0 is the highest rating, held by less than 1% of all attorneys in California.

Before meeting with an attorney, visit their website for helpful tips and background information. How professional is the attorney’s website? How useful is the attorney’s website? Does the attorney website offer useful resources like inmate locator, bail information, court information or other useful links? Does the attorney website introduce his/her staff? What is the Attorney’s staff background and professional experience?

Finally, personally meet with several attorneys. When you meet with a potential Attorney make sure to ask the right questions. Attorney selection is similar to a job interview process and you should approach it that way. You need to find the right attorney for you and your case. Some of the questions that I recommend you ask an Attorney are as follows:

1. Does the attorney offer a free consultation, and for how long? Otherwise, how much is an initial consultation?

2. Do you personally meet with an attorney or just a member of his/her their clerical staff?

3. What areas of the law do you practice? An attorney should ideally devote 100% to the legal area involving your case.

4. How many years have you practiced in the area of the law involving my case

5. What experience does he/she have with handling your type of case?

6. Obtain a list of cases that the attorney has personally handled in the past with specific cases number so you can do your due diligence and obtain a case history of the case called a “docket” of the case by visiting your local courthouse. By obtaining a “docket” in several cases, you can make sure that the attorney was in fact the attorney of record and obtained the results he or she claims to have obtained.

7. Can the attorney educate you on the procedures and court process involved in handling your case?

8. How much will your services cost? What payment plans does the Attorney offer?
Make sure to meet with several Attorneys before making your decision since every Attorney has a different style for handling cases. Finding the right attorney is a time consuming process. But by diligently and attentively going through this process, you can make an “informed decision” as to who will best represent you competently and with the requisite professionalism that your case richly deserves.

Doing your homework will pay off in the long run!

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