Hiring a Montgomery County Criminal Lawyer
When someone has been implicated in a Maryland criminal case, one of their first steps usually involves retaining a lawyer for their defense. Researching and ultimately choosing a single defense attorney takes time and a great deal of due diligence; people want to make sure they’re going with a strong choice. Speaking to a Montgomery County criminal defense lawyer is a good first step in starting the research process before making a final decision. Our Montgomery County criminal defense team is hard-working and assiduous in crafting each client’s defense.
Important Considerations When Choosing a Lawyer
One of the most important things when choosing an attorney is making sure that you are comfortable with the person with whom you are working. Criminal cases can be resolved within a month in some circumstances, but sometimes they can take much longer. Having a relationship with a criminal defense attorney who you trust, who you do not need to contact every single day because you know he is still diligently working to resolve your case favorably, is paramount to a good working relationship. The advice and guidance of an experienced and trustworthy lawyer is beneficial and irreplaceable in a criminal case.
In terms of criminal practice, you may want to hire somebody who specializes in your particular kind of criminal case. Before making a decision you really want to make sure you speak to the attorney about their experience. Ask them about their experience in the particular field of law you need assistance. Ask them if they’ve ever dealt with the particular kind of case you need, whether it is a drug possession case, a domestic violence case, a gun case, or some other area of criminal law.
Experience in Montgomery County Criminal Cases
Additionally, you are also going to want to make sure that the Montgomery County criminal defense lawyer with whom you are working with has experience in the particular area of law with which you are seeking assistance. For example, you do not want an attorney who practices divorce law assisting you in a criminal case. You want somebody who has a criminal practice and has been at it for an extensive amount of time.
Your Montgomery County criminal attorney’s experience in terms of what particular areas of criminal defense they have practiced, which locations and jurisdictions they practice in, how long they have practiced in those jurisdictions, and what their relationships are like with the prosecutors, police officers, judges, and other representatives of the court system is extremely important.
Mistakes When Choosing a Montgomery County Criminal Lawyer
The most common mistake that people make is to hire an attorney they know through a family member or a friend, who helped somebody with a divorce case or a personal injury case. These people assume that just because someone has a law degree and practices law, they can handle every kind of legal issue. Criminal attorneys in Montgomery County are specialists who practice criminal law every single day. More often than not, criminal attorneys only handle criminal cases. Their profession is to deal with criminal charges on a daily basis. They know details about particular kinds of cases that someone who hasn’t had hands-on experience with criminal cases is unlikely to have.
For example, if you had a heart issue, you would see a cardiologist. You would not go to an eye doctor. Legal issues are much the same way. You want to go to a lawyer with particular insight and knowledge on criminal cases. Someone who handles those particular kinds of issues on a regular basis and knows them inside and out.
The second mistake that people commonly make is trying to make a decision on a Montgomery County criminal lawyer by seeking out the cheapest option. In criminal law you get what you pay for, more so than anywhere else. Somebody who is not charging very much or is the cheapest option is often taking a lot more cases in order to make up for it. This means less personal attention on your case, less opportunity to research the matter, and less opportunity to negotiate on your behalf. Making a decision to go with an attorney you think works well for you, regardless of price, is one of the most crucial things someone should consider when they’re in the market for an attorney. Unlike other civil cases, in criminal law, your liberty is at stake. It is very important to be mindful of that.
Questions Montgomery County Criminal Attorney Ask During Intake
Common questions that a Montgomery County criminal lawyer gets asked right off the bat include, “What happened? Are there witnesses? How I do reach those witnesses?” After these questions have been posed, it is up to an attorney to prepare their client for things associated with damage control. By enacting some damage control, a defense attorney may be able to help their client face fewer or less harsh penalties.
For example, a client has been charged with an alcohol-related offense. A criminal defense lawyer in Montgomery County might suggest the client participate in alcohol education classes so the judge can determine just how seriously the client takes the charge. If a client was charged with a crime of violence, a lawyer could provide guidance on whether the client should enroll in some kind of anger management class to demonstrate how seriously he takes the entire incident. It is really a matter of knowing everything that there is to know and also preparing the client to be well-represented and viewed in the best possible way by the court.
Montgomery County Criminal Attorney Kush Arora’s Philosophy
The most important thing in a criminal case is to have as much information as possible to make informed decisions on your client’s behalf. In addition, it is also extremely important for a criminal defense attorney in Montgomery County to know as much or more than the prosecutors know about the case. The prosecutors are obligated to give defense attorneys a great deal of information; really everything that they have and know about a particular criminal case. Defense attorneys are not under the same obligation to the prosecutors since it is the government’s burden to bring and prove criminal charges against the defense. Defense attorneys in Montgomery County are in the position to know more and have more information, and can use that to create an advantage on behalf of their clients.