Top 3 Things to Look for When Hiring a Criminal Defense Attorney

If you get charged with a crime in central Ohio, you have many choices for a criminal defense attorney in Columbus and throughout Franklin County. You can find a good lawyer to advise and represent you by answering three questions.

Does this Columbus criminal defense attorney handle my type of case?

Criminal statutes name thousands of possible offenses. You need a defense lawyer who understands what police have accused you of doing and who has experience helping other defendants respond to the charge you face.

At The Maher Law Firm, we handle criminal defense in virtually every type of case including but not limited to:

• Arson
• Assault
• Burglary
• Disorderly conduct
• Domestic violence
• Drug abuse
• Drug possession
• Drug trafficking
• DUI
• Fraud
• Obstruction of justice/Obstruction of official business
• Open container
• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated/DUI
• OVI
• Robbery
• Theft
• Underage drinking
• Vandalism
• Weapons control
• Weapons possession

Those are just categories, however. When consulting with an attorney before making a final decision as to whom to hire, ask each person if he or she has handled a case involving your specific charge. Also ask how the attorney put together the case for acquittal or a plea deal, and ask how the case was decided.

 

Does this criminal defense attorney in Columbus answer the phone and respond to emails?

Your defense lawyer works for you and should treat your case as a priority. While you can expect a good attorney to be busy, you should not need to wait more than a couple of hours, or at most a day, for a return phone call or a reply email. You should also expect to receive direct answers to direct questions. When an attorney has to tell you that he or she must do a little research or check some facts, expect the information sooner rather than later.

Ohio allows criminal defendants to change lawyers at any time. When you discover that the attorney you hired does not communicate with you, provides insufficient or incorrect answers, or treats your case like an inconvenience or an afterthought, exercise your right to fire that person and find a more responsive and respectful defense attorney.

 

Does my Columbus criminal defense lawyer present options and follow my instructions?

You do not want an attorney who dictates decisions and tells you things like, “You have no other choice.” Because the defense attorney you hire works for you, he or she must work in your best interest. You, of course, must be given the opportunity to state what you consider your best interest to be.

In the context of the lawyer-client relationship, this means that a good attorney will present scenarios of what you can do and what is likely to happen when you do one thing but not another. Once you make a choice, your lawyer should carry out your instructions faithfully. If he or she does not, you can fire that person and hire a new attorney.

If you need a criminal defense attorney in Columbus, Ohio, call The Maher Law Firm at (614) 205-2208 to let us know if we can be of service. We also give phone consultations for free.  You can also contact us online through this contact form.