After you have been arrested for and charged with a crime, you have a small window of time to hire an attorney before you are formally arraigned. In most states, you have to appear before an arraignment judge within 72 hours of your arrest. During this time, you have the chance to hire someone to represent you.
If you have never before hired a criminal defense attorney in Ponte Vedra, law enforcement generally is not allowed to give you pointers or advice about how to find a good one. Instead, you have to rely on your own instincts and information on locating an attorney who is more than capable of taking your case.
Experienced Counsel
When it comes to hiring a good criminal defense attorney in Ponte Vedra, clients generally want to retain the services of one who has handled their types of cases in the past. You do not want to hire a complete novice fresh out of law school to represent you. You would rather not bank the outcome of your case on the lack of experience that comes with hiring a proverbial greenhorn.
Instead, you would feel more comfortable hiring someone who has years’ worth of experience representing clients like you. Your ideal attorney will have handled dozens of cases like yours and know what it will take to get your case dismissed or won in court.
Affordable Counsel
You also do not want to spend your entire life’s savings on an attorney. You need someone with affordable rates or who can offer some pro bono services for you. You can find out what he or she charges during a free consultation with your prospective lawyer.
These qualities are a few to look for when vetting attorneys for your case. They could let you get good counsel at affordable rates.
