Should I hire an expensive attorney?
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Should I hire an expensive attorney?
I am facing 3 felonies – 2 are Class III for manufacture and possession of magic mushrooms, the other is a Class V for possession of marijuana. I have the option to hire an attorney for $2000 through my college. She is smart but doesn’t have a lot of experience with my charges or my county. On the other hand, I have talked to other attorneys who seem much more familiar with my situation but who would charge $5000, plus another $5000 for trial.
Asked on October 25, 2011 under Criminal Law, Colorado
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Cost is not a factor--or at least, in theory, it's not a factor; I've known $150/hour attorneys, for example, who've done a much better job than $450/hour attorneys. The issues are:
1) Experience--while in theory, any competent lawyer can work on just about any matter, there's a huge difference between someone who knows what he or she is doing and someone who's learning on the job. You want an experienced criminal defense attorney, and that includes experience with your specific charges--defending against drug charges is different from white collar crime or domestic violence, for example.
2) Familiarity with the players--less important than the above but still helpful is having a lawyer who knows the prosecutor, the judges, etc. This can inform what tactics to take, what the weaknesses of a case are likely to be, what arguments the court will be sympathetic too, etc.
3) Your rapport with lawyer--you will have to work closely with the attorney to mount a good defenese. If you don't like him or her, or don't communicate well, that will impair your defense; and conversely, a good rapport (not being friends, but working well together) will help it.
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