5 Key Questions to Ask Your Defence Attorney
Having criminal charges laid against you can be stressful and challenging, especially if you’re innocent. Therefore having a reputable defence attorney in your corner to fight for your rights is invaluable. Notice the keyword there: a “reputable” defence attorney?
Finding the right lawyer can be a challenge all by itself. To help you make the right choice, here are some questions that will give you insight into how your lawyer does business.
1. What types of cases do you specialise in?
When it comes to a defence attorney, you would most likely find that they are all pretty good at dealing with multiple cases and situations. However, finding a defence lawyer who specialises in defending individuals accused of the same crime you have been accused of would work in your favour.
The more experienced a lawyer is in a particular area of the law, the better equipped they will be in spotting areas that can strengthen your defence or even get your case thrown out altogether. So, when you’re looking for a lawyer, you need to ask them what they’re specialised in not necessarily a deal breaker if they don’t specialise in cases like yours. It’s just a bonus.
2. Have you handled a case like mine before?
This has a similar ring to the last point, but you may want to ask your potential lawyer if they’ve ever had a case like yours and whether the outcome was positive. While every case is unique in its own right, a defence lawyer can lean on their past experiences in similar cases to create a winning defence strategy for you.
Whether they lost the last case or won it, they can use the mistakes they made and the successful strategies they used to better their defence to get you a positive outcome for your case.
3. How long do these types of cases take?
Some cases can take much longer than expected, especially if the crime’s specifics are complicated. It might be helpful for you to get an ETA on how long you could expect your case to take so that you can plan around it. Lawyers with experience in similar cases will give you an honest estimate.
4. What are your fees?
This is an important question to ask. You must know your legal fees as you hire a defence attorney. Too often the accused hire a lawyer to defend them before considering the fee they would need to pay their lawyers. At the end of the case, they cannot pay because they weren’t fully prepared for the amount they owe.
Make sure that you and your lawyer are clear about their payment structure and whether you can afford legal aid or not.
5. How would you approach my case?
It may be helpful for you to also know how a defence lawyer would approach your case. Lawyers all have different strategies and tricks up their sleeves to defend their clients, and they may not be willing to share them all with you. However, transparency between you and your lawyer is important so you do have the right to ask what your lawyer would do to defend you.
A defence attorney’s role is to defend you as far as it is in accordance with the law. Essentially, they protect your rights if you’re guilty, ensuring that you receive an accurate penalty for your actions. If you’re innocent, their job would be to prove that. How they do so may change depending on the case.
Where to find a good defence attorney?
Before you can even get to the questions, you need to find a reputable defence attorney to hire. Donelly Lawyers are some of the best defence attorneys in Australia, so if you’re needing help your case, contact Donnelly Law Defence Lawyers in Brisbane; they would be happy to help.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, you must remember that defence attorneys have vowed to uphold the law. Essentially, they’re there to protect your rights as your crime is investigated and your charges are brought. This doesn’t mean they will get you off if you’re guilty. It simply means that the sentence or fine you’re given will either be more lenient or in line with the law.
