Choosing Wisely

The choice to hire a criminal defence lawyer should never made hastily. The best criminal defence lawyer is the one who you have chosen only after exercising all reasonable due diligence.

Understanding how a case is prosecuted is important to understanding how a case should be defended. As a former prosecutor I have the unique experience of being on the other side.

Don't place your trust in a dabbler, a criminal defence lawyer with a volume practice or a lawyer who seldom communicates directly with you . Place your trust in a dedicated criminal defence lawyer.

Managing any criminal charge can be challenging. If understanding the law was not hard enough, navigating the procedural nuances of a courtroom can be overwhelming.

Choose carefully; choose wisely. Hiring the right criminal defence lawyer may be the difference between having a criminal record or not, protecting your wallet, going to jail or remaining free.

Most Alberta defence lawyers represent a broad spectrum of clients. The limitations of time mean that the best criminal defence lawyers are those who prioritize for the circumstances of each individual client.

Over the last 20 years or so, this Calgary criminal lawyer has observed many accused persons change lawyers midstream -- some even multiple times.  While not every solicitor-client relationship will last, if you are accused of a crime or have been issued a roadside sanction, the objective when hiring your defence lawyer should be a relationship that runs from the beginning of the case until its conclusion.

Changing lawyers can be financially draining; for every new lawyer will very likely require a new retainer, while the previous lawyer will most likely have cost you thousand of dollars. In short, it is not unusual for a change of counsel to exponentially increase legal fees. Also, depending on the nature of the case and the time of the change of counsel, some judges may take a dim view of jumping from lawyer to lawyer. Delays caused by changing counsel can also adversely impact s. 11(b) Charter protected interests (trial within a reasonable time). To that end, delaying the case by changing counsel could result in that time being levelled against you.