By Collin County Criminal Defense Lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal
(972) 369-0577
This week I’m counting down the top 5 mistakes people make when choosing and hiring a criminal defense lawyer.
#4 Hiring Someone Who Only Tells You What You Want To Hear
Sometimes in life we have to choose from a bad option or a worse option. A lawyer that needlessly sugar-coats your criminal case whether it be a DWI, a theft case, a drug possession case or a felony isn’t doing you any favors.
There’s an age-old legal saying, “he who represents himself has a fool for a client.” One of the main reasons for this saying is having legal problems is very stressful. A lawyer should be detached enough from your situation that they can objectively review all the sides of your case.
Every lawyer should fight relentlessly for the optimum result for their client. I’m not suggesting otherwise. But your lawyer must also be like a mirror and give you the most accurate reflection of your case so that decisions can be made based on reality — not fantasy.
Lawyers are just like doctors in that we have to have good bedside manners. This means that a good lawyer is realistic about bad news and can put it in perspective. Just because there’s a problem doesn’t mean a great goal in the case still can’t be achieved.
Be wary of a lawyer that is afraid or hesitant to disagree with you or tell you news you don’t want to hear when you’re interviewing them.
A lawyer’s ability to give unbiased, detached and unprejudiced advice is a necessity. It is just as critical as their ability to fight for you.
*Jeremy Rosenthal is Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article should be considered legal advice. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.