In case you have been convicted of a crime, you have the right to file an appeal. The appeal is filed in case you’re not content with the decision the lower court made and you wish that the higher court changes that decision. Of course, in order to win the case, you need solid proof that some errors occurred in the court that have affected the verdict. You only have chances of winning if the proof that you’ve gathered is strong enough and you have a good attorney by your side. Appeal attorneys are professionals who specialize in defending cases in appellate courts. It is indisputable that, if you plan to file an appeal and wish to win, you need to hire an attorney.
Focus on experience
You probably want an experienced attorney that has been active for several years and has good recommendations. If your case is very complicated you might want to find someone who had experience with similar cases. Your trial attorney, the one who represented you in trials, could be able to recommend someone to you or represent you themselves.
When you meet with your lawyer you want to be able to evaluate them as best as you can so you should start with questions such as “how long have you been practicing?” or “what types of cases did you have over the past few years”? Also, you’ll want to know not only the number of cases they’ve done but their success rate as well.
Look at the website of the attorney you wish to hire. The first thing you’ll notice is how professional the website looks. After that, check the reviews and look for cases similar to yours. Brownstone Law top appeal lawyer law firm could be a pretty good example of how someone should introduce themselves on the landing page of the website.
Check the costs
The costs vary a lot from case to case. And I do mean a lot. Depending on the complexity of the case, whether or not there were some issues that needed to be resolved, and similar, the cost of an appeal can be anywhere from 10.000 to over 160.000 dollars.
You should ask whether or not the fee includes any additional appeals. In case you lose, you can ask for another review from the state’s highest court or file a petition for certiorari to the US Supreme Court. It’s good to keep in mind that those steps are usually not fruitful so it’s good not to get your hopes up. You can decide whether or not those further reviews should be included in your appellate fee. Also, your attorney will ask you if you wish to pay the flat fee or an hourly fee. While many opt for paying the hourly fee, a flat fee makes more sense for an appeal.
Narrow your list
Since you won’t have the time to meet with every lawyer you found, it’s best to narrow your list down to a couple of the attorneys you consider most qualified. Now, you can start meeting with them, asking questions, and finally choose the best one.
