Facing police scrutiny and being charged with an offence can easily be an overwhelming and frightening experience for anyone going through it. If you are unlucky enough to find yourself in this situation then it’s understandable that you’d want the very best criminal defence lawyers in Australia on your side.
However, finding the best criminal defence lawyers in Australia can be a difficult task, especially if you are facing very serious charges that need a highly experienced solicitor to help you navigate. It’s important to remember that even if you have the world’s most expensive solicitor helping you, a positive outcome is never guaranteed.
However, using the best criminal defence lawyers in Australia should give you the best chance of avoiding conviction or at least getting the minimum possible sentence. Having a criminal record can negatively affect your ability to find employment, travel and your personal liberty.
Let’s take a look at some steps you can take to help you find the best criminal defence lawyers in Australia.
Perform internet research
The obvious first place to begin your search for the best criminal defence lawyers in Australia is the internet. Don’t just settle for the first search result you get and instead start drafting a list of potential solicitors you may want to engage with.
There are many useful solicitor directories you can access where you will easily be able to see the rankings of each firm and compare them against each other. You should take note of the specialisations of each practitioner and only list the solicitors that are specialists in your type of case.
For example, if you are facing a traffic offence then you would be better served by criminal defence lawyer in Australia who specialise in traffic matters rather than paying for the expertise of a solicitor who specialises in drug offences. A good way to tell if the solicitor is right for you is too see if they have any special accreditations in a particular area of law.
Create a shortlist of candidates
Now it’s time to narrow down your selection for the best criminal defence lawyers in Australia by taking a closer look at their qualifications and experience. You should take a look at testimonials that the firm has published to their website and take a look at other sources for reviews, like on Google business listings.
Ideally, past clients of the solicitor should give you a sense of the kind of person they are as well as their work style. It’s a good idea to see how similar the past client’s case was to your own to see what this solicitor has been able to achieve under similar circumstances.
Every case if different so you won’t be able to guarantee success simply by hiring a criminal defence lawyer in Australia that specialises solely on your type of legal issue. However, you can work to minimise your chances of failure by hiring a practitioner who has a great deal of experience in dealing with cases similar to yours.
Conduct an interview
Once you have narrowed your list of the best criminal defence lawyers in Australia down to around 4 or 5 candidates, it’s time to start scheduling interviews. Most solicitors will offer free initial consultations in order to attract clients, so take advantage of this and use the opportunity to ask them plenty of questions.
You might be afraid of sounding rude by asking too many qualifying questions, however, the solicitor should be happy to reassure you about any concerns you might have. After all, it’s the solicitor’s job to help you understand the complexity of your legal situation and what the best course of action is.
