Why Searching for the Right Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer is Difficult

Whether you decide to retain my services or those of another criminal defense lawyer, you should attempt an early understanding of the professional relationship between you and your lawyer.

While many people believe that once they have hired a criminal lawyer, the lawyer will do everything necessary to handle their case nothing could be farther from the truth.

Hiring a lawyer is just the first step in creating a criminal defense team. At times, in less serious cases, the “legal team” will consist of just you and the lawyer. In more complex and more serious cases the criminal defense team will include others such as legal assistants, investigators, accountants, consulting experts, and the like.

Every member on the team, especially the defendant, has certain and specific responsibilities to fulfill in order to make certain that the criminal defense case has as successful a result as possible.

The lawyer will use his or her specialized legal knowledge of criminal law and skill in the courtroom to advise and represent you at every stage of the criminal case and specifically on the different courses of action available and the possible consequences of each course of action.

Ongoing and constant advice means that the client can make the decisions about how your case or legal matter should proceed. The lawyer does not expect to make major decisions about your matter that is your responsibility.

Your criminal defense lawyer expects you to be truthful and as complete as possible about the facts of your case. Not only does holding back information prevent the lawyer from giving you the best advice, it is dangerous.

Your criminal defense lawyer may ask you to locate documents, witnesses and other people that are important to your case. You may also have to pay for incidentals such as the costs of serving subpoenas and additional investigator to counter the state’s evidence.

Your criminal defense lawyer will want to know how to maintain regular contact with you. You would be surprised by the number of clients who move or change telephone numbers and forget to tell their lawyers. You should always exchange emails, cell and home phone numbers and if you have an IPAD, IPHONE or other type of smart phone — it is a great tool to stay in close touch when questions arise

Your criminal defense lawyer will need and expect you to make adjustments to your schedule to meet with the lawyer or attend legal proceedings, such as statements, proffers of evidence, court hearings and of course the trial, as necessary.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, your job on your legal team will depend on the nature of your criminal defense case and the expectations of your particular criminal defense lawyer.

At one of your first meeting with your lawyer, you will need to make clear your agreement about the following:

• Your goals and what you want accomplished.
• What the lawyer expects to do to help you achieve your goals.
• How fees and costs will be charged and how you will be expected to pay for them.
• How the lawyer will keep you informed about the status of your case whether by regular telephone calls, meetings or letters.
• Who else in the lawyer’s office will be involved with your case other lawyers, paralegals, legal assistants and secretaries.
• How the lawyer wants you to keep the office informed about developments in your case by telephone, in person or in writing.
• What is the office policy about returning your telephone calls and letters and how will you be charged for these services?

Some lawyers charge a minimum fee for returning calls while others do not charge their clients. You should be certain that you understand what your lawyer’s policies are and that you are comfortable with them.

You should interview at least three lawyers before making a decision on who to retain. If a lawyer refuses to discuss how he or she works or will actually handle your matter, move on to the next lawyer. But if several lawyers tell you the same things, chances are that you may have to adjust your expectations.

The answer to this is simple and straightforward.

• Be sure that you and your lawyer have the same goals.
• Be sure you understand and are comfortable with the lawyer’s working style. Be especially certain that you have a clear picture of the expected timetable of your case when you can expect significant developments and when and how often the lawyer intends to contact you.
• Be sure that you provide the lawyer with the information and documents necessary to understand your case.
• Be sure you understand and agree with the lawyer’s billing practices.
• Be sure that if you have questions or concerns about your legal matter, you express them to the lawyer and listen to the responses.

Once a potential client has made an appointment with an attorney, the client should prepare for the first meeting. The client should gather together all documents and evidence relating to the case and bring them to the first meeting. It may be helpful to both the client and the attorney if the client brings to the meeting a written, chronological account of the matter in dispute.

A client may also put together a set of questions designed to help determine whether the attorney is right for the job. The following is a list of helpful questions that a person hiring an attorney may consider asking:

• How much experience has the attorney had in this sort of case?
• Will anybody help the attorney work on the case, and if so, who?
• How long will it take for the case to be resolved?
• If the client is not satisfied with a plea bargain offer, can she insist on going to trial?
• How often will client and attorney communicate about the case?
• Can the client call and expect a reasonably prompt response?
• How can the client contact the attorney in case of an emergency?
• Who can the client talk to if the attorney is unavailable?
• How much will the case cost?
• What can the client do to help the case?

A client may think that certain elements of the attorney-client relationship are more important than others. For people with less money, attorney fees may be a deciding factor.

Clients who do not need to consider money as the primary factor may wish to find an attorney who has the best reputation in the particular field of law. Other clients may place a greater emphasis on personal rapport with the attorney.

Still other clients may seek a certain type of attorney based on the nature of the client’s desired representation. For example, if a client seeks an attorney to take to trial a serious felony charge, he or she may seek an aggressive, very experienced, high-profile attorney who specializes in trial work.

Some lawyers may give small amounts of information over the phone without charge. Information is different from advice. Advice is legal information given to a person along with a recommended course of action.

The critical difference is this when a lawyer gives legal advice, the attorney is liable for malpractice especially if the advice is erroneous. Attorneys are hesitant to give legal advice, and expose themselves to liability, without charging a fee to cover that risk.

Please try to remember that when you press the lawyer for answers.. They really want to help you — but they may be hesitant to go too far in their free consultation.

About the Author: H. Michael Steinberg, Email The Author. A Denver Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer or call his office at 303-627-7777 during business hours or call his cell if you cannot wait and need his immediate assistance 720-220-2277.

H. Michael Steinberg is an aggressive Colorado criminal defense lawyer with over 38 years of Colorado Criminal Law experience. He is not looking to negotiate a plea in every case. He is looking for the best possible outcome, based on all the facts and evidence, so that you can get on with your life.

“I believe that I can help people who are in need and deliver the kind of quality legal service to clients they expect.”
- H. Michael Steinberg

Please call H. Michael if you have any questions about the topic in this case Why Searching for the Right Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer is Difficult.