Guide to Finding Massachusetts Criminal Lawyer

Being charged with a crime is frightening, and the legal system can seem very confusing. If you have been arrested in the state of Massachusetts, finding a Massachusetts criminal lawyer to represent you should be your top priority. This guide will help you to understand the role of MA criminal lawyers and help you to find a MA criminal lawyer who meets your needs and budget.

Your Right To A Massachusetts Criminal Lawyer

Federal and state courts agree that criminal defendants in the state of Massachusetts are entitled to a MA criminal lawyer. Your right to representation by Massachusetts criminal lawyers begins as soon as you are placed under arrest. During your arrest, it is likely you will hear the famous “Miranda rights,” and will be told that you have a right to a Massachusetts criminal lawyer.

You have a right to representation by MA criminal lawyers before you answer any questions from police. If you are arrested, staying silent until your MA criminal lawyer can advise you may help your case later on. Getting Massachusetts criminal lawyers involved early in the legal process will give you the best chance of a “not guilty” verdict. Police interrogations can sometimes be unethical or force a confession even out of an innocent person, and having your Massachusetts criminal lawyer present for any interrogation can ensure your rights are respected.

Public Defender or Private MA Criminal Lawyer?

If your income and assets are too low to afford private representation by MA criminal lawyers, you will have a public defender appointed for you by the court. Public defenders are Massachusetts criminal lawyers who work as taxpayer-paid free representation for low-income defendants. If you ask for a public defender as your Massachusetts criminal lawyer, you will be assigned a lawyer rather than choosing one.

While public defenders are fully trained and educated MA criminal lawyers, some can be inexperienced or have a high caseload. Even if you qualify for a public defender, you may wish to hire a private MA criminal lawyer to have the best chance of winning your case. If you make too much money or have too many assets for a public defender, a private Massachusetts criminal lawyer is your only option for legal representation.

Finding Massachusetts Criminal Lawyers

Sorting through MA criminal lawyers to find one that is right for you can be difficult. One of the best ways to find a MA criminal lawyer is to ask people you know for a recommendation. If no one you know has experience with Massachusetts criminal lawyers, the Massachusetts State Bar offers a Lawyer Referral Service that can help you find a Massachusetts criminal lawyer near you.

Once you call the referral service, you will be put in touch with a MA criminal lawyer who has experience representing defendants in cases like yours. In case you want to talk to multiple MA criminal lawyers to compare fees and experience, the referral service will refer you to up to three Massachusetts criminal lawyers close to you. Each Massachusetts criminal lawyer you are referred to will offer you an initial consultation. Some MA criminal lawyers charge no fee for this initial consultation, while others charge a nominal fee of up to $25.

Can I Afford a MA Criminal Lawyer?

Massachusetts criminal lawyers are highly trained professionals, and while their fees must be reasonable according to state law, those fees can vary greatly depending on which Massachusetts criminal lawyer you hire to take your case.

Typically, MA criminal lawyers work with a flat fee structure, which means that you can learn the entire cost of working out a plea bargain with the DA (the MA criminal lawyer on the prosecution's side) or going to trial. Your Massachusetts criminal lawyer can talk to you about his or her fee structure at your initial consultation. Massachusetts criminal lawyers will charge more for a case that goes to trial, because preparing for a trial requires substantially more work and time.

If the fee for MA criminal lawyers seems steep, you can either look around for a MA criminal lawyer in your price range, hire a public defender, or ask some Massachusetts criminal lawyers whether they would accept a pre-arranged payment plan. Based on your ability to pay, some MA criminal lawyers may allow you to pay your legal fees in installments.

Investigating Massachusetts Criminal Lawyers

While the vast majority of MA criminal lawyers have worked for many years without receiving any ethics violations, doing due diligence to make sure your Massachusetts criminal lawyer has never faced disciplinary action may put your mind at ease.

To find out whether your MA criminal lawyer has been subjected to discipline by the state bar (which handles all formal ethics complaints against Massachusetts criminal lawyers), you can visit the website of the Massachusetts state bar and look for their files of ethics cases. There, you can search for the name of your Massachusetts criminal lawyer and find out if he or she has received complaints, and what happened as a result of those complaints. Based on this information, you can decide which MA criminal lawyer is right for you.

Preparing For A Consultation

When you get ready for a consultation with MA criminal lawyers, you will want to assemble any information you may have about your case. Write down any questions you have for your Massachusetts criminal lawyer ahead of time, so that you don't forget your questions during your consultation. Bring a pen and paper, both for writing down answers to your questions from your Massachusetts criminal lawyers and any notes you may wish to take.

At your consultation, here are a few questions you may want to ask your MA criminal lawyer:

 Do you have experience representing criminal defendants in these kinds of cases?

 What is your fee structure?

 What is the difference between your fee for a plea bargain and your fee for taking my case to trial?

 How often do you win similar cases?

 What kind of strategies do you use to win cases like mine?