People accused of a criminal offense are advised to remain silent until they’ve spoken to their lawyers. But what if, during the felony criminal process, you’ve noticed warning signs that you might have hired the wrong legal adviser. If you see the following red flags, the right thing to do is speak up, dismiss your lawyer, and move on.
Communication
Facing a lawsuit is a distressing experience. When you find yourself in this unfortunate situation, the last thing you would need is a member of the bar who doesn’t return your phone calls or emails. As in any relationship, constant and honest communication between lawyers and their clients is crucial.
Your attorney must be able to keep you in the loop about what’s going on with your case. Even if they’re busy, they are ethically bound to discuss strategies with you, create a timeline for trials, and explain your options as the defendant-which can’t happen if they’re always unavailable.
Yes, occasionally missing calls is fine, but if it becomes a regular habit, maybe it’s time to consider hiring another lawyer. When an attorney continually fails to communicate with a client, it usually means they are so busy with other cases that they can’t handle yours appropriately. Worse, maybe they lack the knowledge to represent you and fight for your rights properly. Either way, it’s you who suffers at the end.
However, if you still have the time and patience, call the firm before looking for a new legal representative. Someone should be able to inform you of the developments of your case at the very least.
Guaranteed Results
Naturally, you want things to work out in your favor. Your lawyer, however, should help manage your expectations by not promising a court victory or successful outcome throughout the process.
Ideally, their job is to ensure due process and defend the rights of people accused of a crime. However, none of them can-and must-ethically guarantee any result. This is why when you shop around for criminal lawyersfor representation, you will notice that even the most experienced ones are not hasty to provide any prediction.
The rule also stands in marketing. Under the American Board Association’s regulation on misleading claims, marketing that implies a prediction of case results is prohibited, including ad materials saying “I will win your case” or any variations.
References
If you asked your lawyer for reviews and references and they refused, you have every reason to doubt their credibility. Failure to provide feedback from previous clients and peers can mean that he or she isn’t well-respected in the field or that they had problems with clients in the past.
Word of mouth is essential in choosing any service provider, and 83% of people will agree. Reviews, or lack thereof, can give you an idea of how the lawyer will perform in representing your case and how well they can influence the juries.
Behavior
When facing a criminal case, you’re obliged to be 100% honest, especially with your legal adviser. You’ll even be asked to provide a detailed account of what happened and share the most accurate information as you know it. Of course, you expect your lawyer to uphold the same level of honesty as well, inside and outside the courthouse.
So what if they ask you to lie in front of the court of law? They should be fired, no questions asked. Lying during trials will only hurt your case. Worse yet, you can be sued with perjury. Make sure to hire only reputable criminal lawyers inEverett, Washington, toavoid getting in further trouble in the court.
