Categories
Law

How to know if your criminal lawyer is legit?

2 min read

To hire a lawyer you have to be sure of his credibility. There are various ways you can check the reputation of the lawyer. The following are some tips that you can use to find out if the lawyer from the criminal law firm toronto is legitimate.

  • The criminal lawyer you have chosen must have passed the bar. It may seem evident and out of question to look into this. But, you have to be sure to avoid scams. Make sure the lawyer has passed the necessary exam. He should have obtained a lawful license from each of the states he wishes to practice in. The requirements differ between states. So we cannot assume that a lawyer is legit to practice in one state since he does in another. There are ways online to find out the name of the lawyer, the law school he graduated from, the year he passed out, the firm he is associated with, the specialty handled, etc.
  • Now that you are sure about the license of the lawyer, you also have to check if there are any grievances filed against the lawyer. The details can be obtained from the website itself. It gives you details regarding the type of grievance filed and also what was the result of the case. If the lawyer was found guilty the court can take disciplinary action against him. You do not want to hire a lawyer who has faced disciplinary action in the past do you? Though this may not be the only factor to prove that the lawyer is bad, it is better to avoid such a person.
  • Research about the cases the lawyer has previously handled. You can get reviews from previous clients too. You can check if the lawyer has handled a variety of cases. Confirm that the info you have found is about the specific lawyer. Sometimes misrepresentations happen because of similar names. Any discrepancy in the data you find should raise an alarm for you to be cautious while choosing the lawyer.
  • Speak to your friends or family for recommendations on the best criminal law firm they know. You could also ask through your official or business sources. The information that you get from the known sources is mostly reliable. They will be able to give you a clear picture of how the lawyer handles the case.