Three Ways to Find a Great Criminal Lawyer

Needing a criminal lawyer is different than needing any other type of lawyer, and there's really only one reason for it - no one thinks they need a criminal attorney until they need one. What I mean to say is, when you meet a business attorney or an estate planning attorney or even a tax attorney you may think to yourself "I should remember this guy because I might need him some day." But when you meet a criminal defense lawyer, you think just the opposite. "Nice to meet you, but I'm never going to need you, so no need to take your card."

But for some of you the day will come when you need some help with a criminal matter. Maybe you get a DUI, maybe you get in a fight at the bar, maybe you yell at the cops for no reason. But whatever it is, you need someone to help you. But where do you turn? I'm going to give you three ways to find a great criminal lawyer that work no matter what your problem is.

1. Utilize Google and Then Check them Out.

Google is a great starting point because everyone and their brother is out there advertising their services. The only problem with Google is that there isn't much of a filter to tell who is good and who is bad out of all the listings you see (and trust me, you will see a lot). But we'll get to how to sift through the clutter in a minute. First, how to do the search.

The first thing you want to do is include your location. So, for example, if you were looking for someone in Seattle you would search "criminal lawyer in Seattle". That would give you a list of people that are specifically doing business in Seattle. If you searched without the location, you'd get people from your city but also from all over the place.

Once you do that look through their websites and pick out two or three names that look good. Then call them up, meet with them, and see if there are any that you feel comfortable with. If there aren't, start over until you find someone you like.

2. Ask a Friend.

There is no better way to find a good criminal attorney in Seattle than to ask a friend. And if you don't feel comfortable letting people know you're in trouble, tell them a friend needs help and you told them you asked around. You would be surprised how many people have either been in trouble before or know someone who's been in trouble before. And these recommendations are good because most of the time people don't refer unless they had a good experience the time before. So ask around, get some names, and check them out.

3. Hang Out in the Courtroom.

There is not better place to find a great criminal lawyer than in the courtroom. And there you'll have the added advantage of seeing a couple of things that you are interested in - first, whether or not they know their stuff and appear to be respected by the judge and prosecutor, and second, how they interact with their client. Those two things show a lot about what a criminal defense lawyer is made of.

One word of caution though here. Don't pay attention to how the case turned out. Each case is different, and there are cases where winning is next to impossible. Just because it doesn't look like the guy is getting a good deal shouldn't deter you from talking to the attorney if you think he looks trustworthy. The most you can ask for is someone that will give your case their all.

In the end, finding a good attorney is like finding any other good service professional. You've got to do a little digging, not be afraid to ask around, and not settle for someone that doesn't meet your expectations. Do that, and I guarantee you'll get someone you like.