Five Things You Should Expect From Your Lawyer

You’ve made the biggest mistake of your life. For whatever reason, you committed a crime and now face serious consequences. Naturally, about a million things are running through your mind. Will you keep your job? What’s going to happen with your family? Maybe you feel so terrible that you can barely get any sleep. In any case, you need legal representation in a hurry. But you must avoid hiring a law firm in a hasty fashion. The last thing you want on top of everything else is to shell out thousands of dollars on an attorney who wasn’t worth a penny. Keep reading for the five things you should expect from a lawyer.

1. Excellent communication – Criminal defense lawyers and civil litigators are extremely busy professionals. When they aren’t defending clients in court, they’re likely doing research and putting together cases for clients. Somewhere in between all of that, criminal defense lawyers are expected to communicate with clients. If he or she fails to respond within one business day, they should provide you with a reason why they were unable to answer your question. On the other hand, it’s a bit unrealistic to receive daily updates from your criminal law attorney.
2. Transparency – This ties in a bit with communication. That said, you don’t want a lawyer who is only going to reveal a limited amount of information when it comes to your case. Clients deserve to have a defense lawyer who isn’t afraid to go over every possibility.
3. Ethical decision-making – Ethics rules require federal criminal lawyers to maintain the attorney-client privilege, as well as represent their client’s interest loyally. Not to mention, your defense attorney should put their client’s interests ahead of their own. So what happens when a lawyer fails to abide by any of these? Well, they will likely face some sort of disciplinary action such as paying fines, returning stolen money, suspension from the practice of law, and even revocation of a law license.
4. Reasonable fee agreements – This is a big one. When you hire a lawyer, you’re essentially making the most significant investment of your life. That’s why it’s important to get the fee agreement in writing that you can understand. If you aren’t sure about something in the details, don’t be afraid to ask.
5. The best possible outcome – If your defense attorney ever makes a guarantee, a red flag should go up in your head. The most skilled and experienced lawyers understand that their job is to provide the best possible outcome for their clients. This isn’t to say that a client won’t have to cope with legal repercussions at the conclusion of the rial.

CHATTANOOGA’S GO-TO LAW FIRM

At the law firm of Cavett, Abbott & Weiss, we provide effective, efficient, and reliable trial counsel for those in state and federal courts. You can feel at ease knowing our attorneys have more than six decades of combined experience with cases ranging from DUI and gun crimes to civil litigation matters such as construction disputes and mechanic’s liens.

Call our law office to schedule your consultation.