A Painless Trick for Finding a Great Criminal Defence Lawyer

If you have been charged with a criminal offence, now is the time to take the responsible step of hiring the best Ottawa criminal defence lawyer for your case.   How do you do that?

Many accused start with the list of lawyers they receive at the Ottawa police station.  Maybe you were charged late at night and called for legal advice from the jail.  Is that the person who you want to handle your very serious case? Consider whether the experienced lawyer you want on your case is answering his phone in the middle of the night. Many lawyers consider the midnight calls to be the role for very junior counsel.

A second place you may look for an experienced criminal defence lawyer is the Yellow Pages.  Do you find you can obtain meaningful information from a Yellow Pages ad?  Many prospective clients have noted that the lawyers in the Yellow Pages pretty much all sound the same.

Lawyer’s Website Checking

You are probably getting closer by checking out the lawyer’s website.  Does the website include helpful information, available for free, to answer your basic questions?  Does the website include case results and client testimonials?  The more helpful information you get from the defence lawyer’s website, the more comfortable you may feel knowing (a) that this is a real criminal defence lawyer who knows his stuff and (b) that this is a lawyer who will take the time to explain and educate you about the legal process.

Without exception, however, there is no substitute for meeting face to face with the criminal defence lawyer for a free consultation.  The lawyer should welcome you to meet him at his office.  The lawyer’s staff should be courteous.  The lawyer should actively answer your questions and talk specifically about your case.  (Having said that, no lawyer will be able to predict the outcome of your case at the initial client meeting.)  At the meeting you should take the time to ask all the questions you have about trial experience, past cases on similar charges and anything else you want to know before selecting a lawyer.  A competent criminal defence lawyer will make you feel comfortable while you ask the questions you need to make an excellent choice.