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Free Consultation
A criminal charge in New York can be a sudden disruption to your life. You may already know that the sooner you hire an attorney, the sooner they can help you with every stage of the proceedings. Of course, choosing the right New York criminal defense attorney is a critical decision. You rely on your attorney to speak on your behalf and provide you guidance. The attorney that you choose has a large impact on the ultimate result of your criminal case.
One of the important ways that you choose your criminal attorney is with a free consultation. A free consultation for a New York criminal charge is a way that you can meet with an attorney to see if they’re a good fit. A free consultation should have several components that can help you determine if the attorney is a good choice to hire as your defense counsel for your New York criminal charge.
What happens at a free consultation?
A free consultation is your opportunity to decide if the attorney is a good fit to represent you. It’s also a chance to gain some insight on your case, possible defenses and what to expect from the criminal process. Your consultation is your chance to hear from an experienced professional what the outlook is for your case. It’s also your chance to learn what you can do in order to improve the outcome in your case. You have the chance to ask questions so that you can learn as much as you can about your case and what you’re up against as you fight the charges.
Learning about your criminal defense with a free consultation
An attorney for criminal defense who offers free consultations begins by listening to you talk about your case. The attorney needs to know how it is that you came to be sitting in their office. If you’ve been arrested or there are already formal charges against you, the attorney wants to hear your version of events. Often times, the police leave details out of their reports. They may unintentionally miss critical information, or they may purposefully leave out details that work in your favor. Your own version of events is the first step in the investigation.
The next step in a free consultation is the attorney’s opinion and advice. Your attorney can inform you of the possible outcomes in the case. They can talk to you about whether your defense plan is realistic. They can tell you what is likely to happen if you decide to take your case to trial or pursue a guilty plea. They can tell you what you need to do in order to prepare your case for trial.
There may be things that you can do right now in order to bolster your case. If you begin substance abuse treatment or take a drug test now, it might help you prove your defense or prove that you deserve a certain plea agreement. Your attorney for your free consultation provides information about the case and gives you insights about steps you should take to begin to build your case.
Criminal defense attorneys in New York who offer free consultations
Your free consultation is your chance to ask questions. You want to learn about your case, but you also want to learn about whether you want to hire the attorney. There are a number of questions that you can ask during your free consultation, including:
- Do you handle only criminal law cases?
- How many criminal law cases have you handled?
- How many times have you tried a case before a jury?
- What do you think the possible outcomes are for this case?
- What is the likelihood of success if I take this case to trial?
- Are there things that I should be doing right now in order to build my case?
- When you represent a criminal client, what is your goal for the client?
- What are the penalties if I end up convicted of the charge?
- Are you comfortable handling my case?
- How do you charge for services?
- How do you communicate with clients?
Your attorney should clearly explain how they bill for services during your free consultation. If you hire the attorney, they should prepare a written fee agreement and answer all of your questions about billing.
Don’t deal with Free Consultation alone. Speak to the Spodek Law Group today.