For the third year in a row, Edward Palermo Law P.L.L.C. was voted as the best law lawyer on Long Island. Every year the public votes for the best business in different categories in the Bethpage FCU Best of LI awards. I am honored that I have consistently won in this category. I take pride in my reputation and devotion to my criminal defense law practice and I’m very grateful that it could be reflected in this award. With so many lawyers that practice criminal defense, you might wonder what makes a criminal defense lawyer effective. Here are some things you can look for when trying to find someone to represent you for a criminal charge you may be facing.
Every case even in one practice of law can vary greatly. In the case of criminal defense, a DWI case is much different than someone charged with a first degree assault. A lawyer that specifically focuses on criminal defense is going to be better equipped to handle your case as opposed to a general practice lawyer or a lawyer that typically practices a different area of law.
The right criminal defense attorney for your case will have a long track history of handling cases similar to yours in the jurisdiction where the incident happened. Additionally, experience in the location is also very important. If you get a DWI in Suffolk county, NY for example, an attorney with experience handling DWI cases in Suffolk County has the experience to handle the case properly. They also have experience with the judges, court system and jurors in that area. If the attorney has been practicing a specific area of law for a long time, that also shows that they have a lot of experience focused solely on that practice.
A lawyer’s reputation is so important to their practice. To find a lawyer with a good reputation, you may first ask family members, friends, and acquaintances if they have a recommendation for an attorney. If a family member or a friend recommends a criminal defense lawyer, this can be a good insight on the lawyer’s reputation and what to expect should you use him. So ask around, do some research and put together a list. The best place to start is with Google.
Even if you don’t have a personal recommendation, online presence is a great way to see a lawyer’s reputation. Like anything else, not all reviews online are honest or fair, but reading a good array of online reviews along with the descriptions can give a really good general idea of an attorney and his/her staff. Most Long Island criminal defense attorneys will have many reviews on various websites. Google, Avvo, Lawyers.com, Yelp and Facebook all list attorney reviews. It is worth the time to read them to see how the attorney that you are considering for your criminal defense case has a good reputation.
Additionally, meeting the attorney and his staff for a free consultation is a really good way to use your instincts to determine the lawyer’s reputation and how he conducts himself and the office. The staff should be kind, the office should look presentable and well organized. These kinds of clues reflect the firm’s experience in handling cases and getting successful verdicts.
Finally, an attorney’s prior results are very important. If your attorney doesn’t have a track record of recovering successful results, for their clients how can you be sure they will get you the most compensation possible? Most attorneys will list their results online. Ethically a lawyer cannot advertise false results. Therefore, if you see any case results displayed on a lawyer’s website, you can be sure that the information is true.
A combination of all three of these things is what is going to ensure that you are hiring a trusted criminal defense attorney. Although many qualified attorney’s may claim to know the practice, an attorney with good experience, reputation and results are more likely able to increase your chances of the most desired result for your case. Thank you to Bethpage Credit Union for voting me as the Best Lawyer of Long Island for three years in a row.