Getting
arrested for a criminal offense is scary, to say the least. Your freedom is at
stake and you have no idea what will happen between the arrest and the
conviction. Crazy scenarios of you in jail will start to play in your head. You
definitely do not want to end up in jail or pay huge penalties that come with a
conviction. You therefore need to hire a skilled Atlanta criminal attorney.
A rule
of thumb when hiring an attorney is to choose one who has the license to
practice law in your area of jurisdiction, which in this case is Atlanta. You
do not want to seek representation from a skilled lawyer who does not have the
license to practice in your area. Here are other things that you need to
consider:
An expert in the criminal case
Criminal
law is very wide. It is therefore
important to choose an attorney who has specialized in the crime that you have
allegedly committed. For instance, if you have been arrested for a misdemeanor,
you need to hire a Misdemeanor Atlanta
attorney. This attorney is not only qualified in defending you, but he will
also have the experience to work on your case. You need to be confident that
your attorney can give you back your freedom.
The legal fees
Unless
your case is pro bono, you will need to pay your attorney after successfully
defending you. Most firms generally take hourly rates or case rates. The latter
means that the attorney will bill you based on the hours that he has spent on
your case. Nowadays, most firms charge a specific percentage based on the
compensation that the client will receive after a counter lawsuit. When it
comes to case rates, the attorney will charge based on the nature of the
criminal case. It is important to find out how much you will pay in legal fees
so that you can negotiate if you really want to work with the attorney or find
another attorney.
Facing
an arrest for aggravated assault is a serious offense. It is worse if a deadly
weapon was involved or the victim suffered life threatening injuries. When facing
such a conviction, you need to make sure that you hire an aggravated assault lawyer Atlanta. The best lawyer is one who will
encourage you to remain silent because whatever you say will definitely be used
against you in court. He will then explain to you the distinctions of the case
so that you can understand its severity. After this, he will prepare a case
that will lead to your freedom.