How to Hire the Best Drug Offense Lawyer for You Case

By William Umansky, Esq. 2

Copyright 2015, William Umansky All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This book is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the published is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of competent professional personnel should be sought. Accordingly, no liability can be assumed regarding how the information is applied to your particular personal situation. No client relationship has been created or can be inferred by purchase of this book.


Table of Contents IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn .................................................................................................................................................. 4

Just Got in Trouble. Now What? ................................................................................................................... 5

What To Look for in Office ............................................................................................................................ 6

Rating Systems for Lawyers .......................................................................................................................... 7

Getting What You Pay For. ............................................................................................................................ 9

Communication Ability - Lawyer's capability to communicate persuasively and credibly ......................... 10

Legal Experience - Lawyer's degree of experience in his/her specific area of practice(s) .......................... 12

Community Involvement to Comfort Level ................................................................................................ 14

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 17


If you are reading this material, that means

you are concerned about a recent drug-related

criminal charge, or you want some insight on

how to pick the right drug arrest lawyer for

your case. This may be a difficult time because

of your arrest. I know after 20+ years of

practicing law that people who get arrested are

often anxious and cant stop thinking about the

potential outcome.

I wrote this guide to give you the knowledge

and power to ask essential questions to your

potential drug defense lawyer, as well as for

you to have the insight to consider what

aspects of an attorney will best suit your needs

for your case.

If you would like to discuss your case with me,

or any attorney of my firm, just call us. The

meeting is free and we would be happy to sit

down and talk to you.

-William Umansky

The Lawman


Just Got In Trouble?

Nervous, anxious? Court Date coming up and you have no idea whats going on?

Do I need a lawyer?

Yes! Even though it might be tough to find a lawyer because you work or you go to

school, it is important! A good lawyer can advise you on legal strategies, defenses,

and perhaps negotiate a good deal for you or get you off entirely on your charge.

How do I find one?

You pick a lawyer whom you can rely upon, trust, and guide you through the

process. But how? T.V., direct mail, phonebooks, websites, reviews, internet sites,

billboards, radio; they all claim the magnificent, grand, excellence of the trial lawyer

God.

How can one choose amongst this disharmony of

advertising voices?

Dont sweat it! This guide will go through some of the various ways to find,

interview, and retain a good lawyer who will meet your legal, emotional, and

budgetary needs. The LawMan says, Dont hire a lawyer unless you

interview them!

So here we go on our quest for the right lawyer.


Size of the Office (Including Lawyers and Staff)

While the size of an office is not in direct correlation to the type of legal work that a lawyer will be able to provide, it is a mark by which you can measure a

lawyers success. A one man shop may not have an assistant, runner, receptionist, file clerk. How do they get all that work done?

Technology? Not so!

When you choose a criminal law firm that employs multiple criminal defense attorneys, you may get the benefit of multiple lawyers discussing your case for the price of one. Some criminal cases are complicated and multiple lawyers

can take time to discuss their difficult cases amongst each other to brainstorm and come up with creative ideas to get the best result possible for their clients.

Lets face it. When you get arrested youre nervous, anxious, and the last thing that you

need to deal with is a rude lawyer or his or her office staff. You are in panic mode, and

you need to have people that are going to be looking out and trying to make you feel

comfortable during this hard time of your life. Therefore, its important from the very

beginning to make sure that not only the lawyer is professional, but the staff serving the

lawyer is professional as well.

So, ask yourself the following questions:

When you call the office, was the receptionist polite?

When you came in to meet the lawyer, were you treated professionally?

When the legal assistant came in to introduce herself, was she courteous and

kind?

Believe me, you dont want to go to the lawyers office where people treat you like just

another number. As your case moves along, there will be some critical decisions you

have to make. You want be able to make them with a clear conscious and clear

understanding. If your lawyer or his staff are not treating you with the utmost respect,

kindness, and compassion possible, you dont need to retain their services.


Public Rating Systems and Reviews from Former

Clients and Peers

The Internet is the Great Equalizer. You can research the lawyer and the law firm before you hire them. Check out AVVO.com or Google Reviews and read through them at your leisure. Take your time and really read them as it will give you an insight to what other clients think about the lawyer you may want to hire. Of course there are times a client may leave a bad review, but look at the majority of the reviews and try to get an idea of the person before you visit.

THE ISSUE IS QUITE EASY TO SEE: DO YOU WANT A LAWYER WHO WILL TREAT YOU AS A VALUED CLIENT OR TREAT YOU AS A COMMODITY?

MMaarrttiinnddaallee--HHuubbbbeellll AAVV RRaattiinngg:: WWhhaatt iiss TThhaatt??

You may notice that William Umansky posts on his website that he is AV rated. What does that mean?

This is the highest rating a lawyer can achieve for legal ability and ethical standards. These ratings are based

on confidential peer reviews of judges and fellow lawyers.

http://www.martindale.com/Products_and_Services/Peer_Review_Ratings.aspx

Legal Ability ratings are based on

performance in five key areas, rated on a


scale of 1 to 5 (with 1 being the lowest and

5 being the highest). These areas are:

Legal Knowledge - Lawyer's familiarity with the laws governing

his/her specific area of practice(s)

Analytical Capabilities - Lawyer's creativity in analyzing legal

issues and applying technical knowledge

Judgment - Lawyer's demonstration of the salient factors that

drive the outcome of a given case or issue.

Communication Ability - Lawyer's capability to communicate

persuasively and credibly

Legal Experience - Lawyer's degree of experience in his/her

specific area of practice(s)

Legal Ability Ratings are:

C-Good to High

B-High to Very High

A-Very High to Preeminent

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The Florida Bar Association is the governing body that maintains all of the ethical guidelines for lawyers in the State of Florida. They are also the body that works to discipline lawyers that behave in an unethical way while representing their clients.


Arm yourself with knowledge and see if the lawyer has been disciplined. While most lawyers, like everyone else, are not perfect and make mistakes, look at the discipline history. If you see a lot going on, then be very cautious!

You Pay for what You Get!

Make no mistake here. While lawyers are proud of the work they do as professionals, they still have to make a living. To a lawyer, time = money and if you hire someone who is inexpensive, there is a good possibility that the lawyer may not work very hard on your case. Usually you will find that the less a lawyer charges, the more cases the lawyer has on their plate. This comes down to the following straight formula:

Find a price in your budget. For example, our law firm usually charges a flat fee for the legal work we do on your case. This fee covers all of the legal work, including legal research that needs to be done, legal Motion writing, and any and all Court Dates, in your case from the time you meet with your lawyer and sign our Contract for Representation until your case is set for a Trial.

In some cases, law firms charge a separate predetermined trial fee so you

know upfront what you will pay a lawyer if your case goes to trial. If the case seems to be a case that will be easier, or less stressful to resolve, then the price will tend to be lower. And vice versa, if the case seems like it will be a lot of work for the lawyer, then the price will tend to be higher.


Does the Lawyer have a Good Procedure for Client Communication?

Promise = Promise What Can You Do For Me?

Neither at an initial consultation with a lawyer, nor during the pendency of your case should a lawyer ever make you a promise about an outcome in your case. Promises in this context are unethical and unreliable. Lawyers are not mind readers, gypsies, or fortune tellers and they cannot predict the future, so no lawyer should promise you or guarantee you a certain outcome in your case.

The LawMan says if a lawyer makes a guarantee, then run run run. Run like the wind, get the hell out of their office and never go back!

However, based on their experience, lawyers can provide you with a number of possible outcomes that could occur in your case. Sometimes a lawyer is able to tell you, probably or more likely than not, but most lawyers will not go further than this in telling you how your case will resolve. As the case progresses, there is more and more information for your lawyer to be able to form an opinion about how your case could resolve, which will likely be shared with you.

Communication

Phone Calls - Does you lawyer or his/her assistant call you back within 24 hours? They should if there is no other pending emergency.

Mail/Email - Does you lawyer or his or her assistant email you back within 24 hours? They should if there is no other pending emergency.


Case Load Size: Man I saw my old lawyer with 20 files when he came to court with me!

The Umansky Law Firm prides itself in HAVING SMALL CASE LOADS. Small case loads go hand in hand with the quality of work that is done on your file. The cheaper the lawyer, the odds are the more cases the lawyer will have. The more cases the lawyer has the less time he or she will have to handle your case. Look at the little formula below:

There are only so many hours in the day, folks. Dont let someone use the word efficiency with you when it comes to quality of work. The more cases a lawyer has, the less time the lawyer has on your case. Bottom Line: Remember to ask how many files should you expect the lawyer to be holding when you go to court with him/her. The lawyer says one, two, maybe three or four, dont sweat it. 7, 8, 9 or 10? You may want to be careful here!

50 Hours (Average Lawyer Work Week) Divided By

100 cases = 30 minutes per case spent on average per week

VS

50 Hours (Average Lawyer Work Week) divided by 25

Cases is 2.0 hours per case per week.


What kind of experience do they have in handling

your file?

This may be one of the most important questions you can ask a lawyer. If you are charged with a criminal case, you dont need a lawyer who primarily handles family law or bankruptcy. The lawyer can do more than one area of law, but ask the following question:

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF CASES HANDLED ARE CRIMINAL?

Remember to look the lawyer straight in the eye and see how they respond. If it is less than fifty percent, I would suggest you think twice about hiring them.

ASK THE LAWYER AT AN INTERVIEW WHAT THE FINAL RESULT OF YOUR CASE WILL BE?

Make sure you ask the lawyer. If the lawyer gives you any answer but We will have to wait and see, then be very careful. Watch out for the following warning signs: We will win your case! We get every case dropped!! Your case WILL get dropped!!! We have never lost a case!!!! We always get Not Guilty at trial!!!!!

Here is the classic but sneaky: BASED upon the facts you are sharing with me now, I can tell you the case will get

dropped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Strangely enough once the lawyer gets the States evidence and it is the evening before trial, his tune has changed and now he is singing: Do you really want to risk jail by going to trial on this case?

WATCH OUT FOR SLICK RESPONSES TO THAT QUESTION!!


What defenses will you raise to my charge?

Ongoing Education

Why should I care if my lawyer takes

continuing legal education? Ask the

potential lawyer youre going to hire if theyve taken

courses that deal with your specific crime since they

graduated law school that deal with your specific

crime. Youll be surprised that many lawyers who

graduated law school do not continue to take courses that are specifically

related to the crimes youve been prosecuted for. For instance, if you got

arrested for a drug offense, ask the lawyer if he or she has taken continuous

education courses concerning drugs. Like everything else in life, things are

always changing and laws are no different. What once was law 10 years ago

may be totally different now. What may have been a good defense in the

past may not longer work in the future. Check the lawyers biography on his

website and see if he has a continuing education section. Also, look to see if

hes taken any courses that are consistent with what youve been charged

with. If the lawyer doesnt list continuing education, then ask him over the

phone for an in person interview, as some lawyers dont list all of their

continuing education on their websites.

Community Involvement

You might be asking yourself.

Do some research online before you meet your potential lawyer about the defenses to your case. It is easy do a search term like defenses to a drug related

crime. Tons of articles will come up and you can read about them before you have your meeting. Then ask the lawyer and see how she responds. Will she be able to spot the same defenses you read about or even come up with one you have never heard of? Arm yourself with knowledge. You can take a look at any

one of my lawman guides to defending your TYPE OF CASE.


Why is it important that your lawyer is involved in their community?

How will that actually help in your case?

A lawyers activity in their community does not always directly help you

with your case. However, it does show you one thing that may be more

important than any other factor in your decision to hire a lawyer.

Usually, the lawyers who are involved in their communities are people

who are compassionate, caring, and feel the need to give back for what

theyve earned in life.

OK, I get it. My lawyer is a nice guy. How does that help me?

When lawyers are involved in their communities, its usually a sign that

they understand people and that they are aware of how people think,

feel and act. If your case goes to trial, there maybe is a better chance

that the lawyer who volunteered his heart and his soul in his

community will come across to the jury as a compassionate, caring,

professional advocate on your behalf.

Why Do I Care If My Lawyer Can Get Along

With Any Kind Of Personality?

Prosecutors, judges, and juries come from all

walks of life.

And the lawyer that has the most flexible personality and the

most wisdom in dealing with all kinds of personality is the lawyer

that is more likely to be able to work out a better resolution for

your case. Lets face it, everyone is human, and a criminal

defense lawyer that is liked by prosecutors and judges is more likely to receive a better

deal or a sentence. Its not corruption, or bribery, or kissing someones ass. Its all about

connections and relationships, and lawyers who are more involved in their communities


have a better ability to develop relationships with judges and prosecutors based upon

trust, friendship, and respect. And that often means better results for the clients.

Comfort Level With The Lawyer

One of the most important things that you can have with your lawyer is a solid comfort

level. If you are impressed by the lawyers credentials, experience, and background, and

believe that he or she could do a good job, but something is nagging you deep down

inside, something that doesnt make you feel 100 percent comfortable, do yourself a

favor and find yourself another lawyer.

Know your gut!!! The LawMan says, If it doesnt feel right, dont hire, find

another!

Steve Jobs knew all about what it took to determine your fate. He said:

You can't connect the dots looking forward; you

can only connect them looking backwards. So you

have to trust that the dots will somehow connect

in your future.

kjkoio

The lawyer you hire is the person that stands between you and the

governments desire to punish you. That lawyer is the last bastion

between you and the ultimate consequence for the crime you may have

committed. If you do not feel 100 percent comfortable sitting down with

that lawyer, do yourself a favor and interview other lawyers and other

attorneys. There is always an attorney out there that is right for you.

Dont feel that just because you were referred to them, or you read

great reviews, that it means that theyre right for you. Sometimes, the

lawyer that is right for you is sitting in a small little office with old

furniture, and yet, when he or she tells you something you feel right at

ease. Never feel you have to settle and always trust your gut instinct

when picking a lawyer.


Conclusion

We believe clients should educate themselves on legal

issues. I know that self-educated clients become better

clients of our law firm because they are informed and

confident of decisions they make, and confident of the

advice we give them. We hope you found this information

helpful. If you have any other questions about finding a

great lawyer for yourself or a loved one, please dont

hesitate to contact me by telephone or e-mail.

Bill The Lawman Umansky

Phone: (407)228-3838

E-Mail: [email protected]

Documents

How to Hire the Best Drug Offense Lawyer for You Case