Good lawyers are hard to find. It may sound like the most screwed-up thing to say, but trust me, it’s true. Having a bad criminal attorney can lead to months of unnecessary stress and trauma for you and your family. But finding good london criminal law experts is simple: learn how to recognize bad lawyers.
Bad lawyers use scare tactics
A bad lawyer will have you believe that the consequences of going to trial are so great that you may as well just plead guilty and work out a deal. Of course, this is complete BS. Good lawyers don’t trick their clients into believing they’ll go to jail if they go to trial, or that they can never get back the time they’ve already served. In fact, only one in ten cases results in a prison sentence. That’s a fact to remember.
Bad lawyers are overconfident
Good lawyers don’t guarantee you that they can get you off, but if they do guarantee it, then they should be willing to say it to your face without looking away. Bad lawyers make all sorts of bold claims about their own abilities and those of the system, whereas truly good lawyers simply tell their clients what the specific facts of their case are and what’s likely to happen based on those facts.
Bad lawyers are rude
They treat the court system like it’s a joke, and they treat the officers of the court as if they’re beneath them. But good lawyers don’t insult or embarrass their clients or attorneys. Good lawyers want their clients to win, and they work hard to make that happen.
Bad lawyers fail to follow through
There is no excuse for why a lawyer should not return a client’s call or e-mail, much less ignore the case entirely. A good lawyer will answer his phone (even during dinner) and will do everything in his power to stay in contact with his clients. And if there comes a time when he needs to be absent from the case, he will make sure that someone else is working on it and that the client is informed of this situation.
Bad lawyers charge too much money
This is a big one. Your lawyer should never charge more than a fee of 25% of what you’re making as income. If he does, he’s being greedy and trying to rip you off. A good lawyer will do everything in his power to make sure that you’re taken care of, but he won’t take advantage of you just because you can’t afford to pay him.
