Choosing the Best Criminal Defense Attorney in Massachusetts

How to choose the best criminal defense attorney

When an individual is facing criminal charges, whether it be for the first time ever or on a subsequent basis, they are dealing with a huge life crisis. The possibility of imprisonment, loss of a license, damage to a reputation, or loss of employment are all significant consequences that hang in the air while a criminal case is pending. While trying to balance all of these potential repercussions, a defendant is tasked with the difficult job of narrowing down their search for the best criminal defense attorney in their particular area. Many attorneys market themselves well, but when it comes to handling a case in court, it becomes glaringly clear that their marketing was nothing more than a facade designed to entice potential clients.

So how can a defendant separate the fakers from the real deal? First of all, it is highly advised to either sit down face-to-face with any potential attorney, or if distance and time make that impossible, then to have a detailed phone conversation with the potential attorney. You want to make sure that the person representing you can clearly, thoughtfully, and cogently express their thoughts to you. Because if they cannot do so, there is little hope that they will be able to do so to a judge or a jury. Once you have established an in-person or phone meeting, you need to be prepared with questions to ask the attorney. Some attorneys would not want you to be prepared, as they would prefer to prey on people’s fears and insecurities during this difficult time. However, any truly experienced and devoted criminal defense attorney will welcome thoughtful and poignant questions that help identify the issues at hand.

What are some questions I should ask a potential attorney?

Some questions you may want to ask are: How many years have you been practicing? How many of those years have been dedicated exclusively to criminal defense? What courts are you most commonly practicing in? Do you have experience with my particular case? What factors in my case jump out at you as the most important? What kinds of relationships do you have in the particular Courthouse where my case is being heard? Do you have established practices and procedures in order to make sure that each case is handled with care and that independent investigation is done where needed? And most importantly, Who exactly will be handling my case? While this is not an exhaustive list of questions, it is a good starting point to generate conversation that should reveal whether or not you are dealing with someone who actually knows what they are doing, or rather someone who is just pretending to be the right choice for you.

It is also important to learn about your potential attorney’s background, including their education, prior client reviews, and their (hopeful) lack of any disciplinary history. All of these factors will give you an opportunity to evaluate the track record of a particular attorney. While as attorneys we are discouraged from sighting success or loss statistics, it is possible to ascertain some degree of information about an attorney’s prior successes by reviewing what the past clients have had to say. That being said, past success is no guarantee of future success, and a good attorney knows that they must earn their reputation every single day on every single case. Choosing the right attorney can mean the difference between preserving all of your important life goals versus being saddled with a Criminal conviction that could haunt you for years to come. Make sure that you do not regret your choice, and later have to spend additional time and money on hiring a true professional. Experience is not expensive, it is priceless.