If you are looking to hire a defence lawyer in the Toronto area, you may be a bit confused about what exactly a criminal defence lawyer is, what kind of cases they work on, and how they can help defend your rights when you are charged with a criminal offence.
In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know in order to hire the best defence lawyer near you so that you can make an informed choice.
A criminal defence lawyer is a type of lawyer who specializes entirely on defending those who are charged with criminal offences under the Criminal Code of Canada. Criminal lawyers often call themselves “barristers” as they must regularly appear in court (at the bar) as opposed to “solicitors” who are focused on mostly written legal work.
Every lawyer in Ontario is technically a barrister and a solicitor by virtue of their licensure with the Law Society of Ontario (formerly the Law Society of Upper Canada). Criminal defence lawyers have chosen to focus their practice on trial advocacy and all of the associated work required in defending criminal charges.
A criminal lawyer will have a J.D. or L.L.B law degree and will be licensed to practice law in Ontario with the Law Society of Ontario.
Criminal lawyers will be able to represent you in a wide variety of criminal charges depending on their background and experience. These charges may include:
Pyzer Criminal Law firm is not limited to just these types of cases. Our firm has won cases and represented clients in several practice areas.
An experienced criminal defence lawyer will have the background and experience to handle simple criminal charges all the way up to the most complex cases. It is the obligation of the lawyer to ensure that they are competent to handle your case, so you need to make sure that the lawyer has experience with your particular criminal charges, or similar charges.
When choosing a Toronto criminal defence lawyer, there are several important factors to keep in mind to make sure you select the right lawyer:
Always remember that no lawyer can guarantee a particular outcome in your case or make promises about the exact amount of success you will have. No two cases are exactly the same.
The facts, evidence, and circumstances of the charge will mean that even similar charges will have a different outcome. Any lawyer who makes promises or guarantees of success is setting you up for disappointment. Be wary of these claims and do not choose a lawyer who makes any guarantees of success in your case.
When you are facing criminal charges that may result in significant jail time or other serious consequences to your life, you need an experienced advocate in your corner who understands all of the available defences in your case and who can expertly navigate the criminal justice system.
When hiring a criminal lawyer, review their track record and ask about similar cases that they have defended. Even though you may not receive the same outcome as other cases that the lawyer has defended, you should have a good understanding of how experienced they are and how this experience can benefit you.
You can review our track record of success by taking a look at some of our recent case summaries. This will help you understand the level of experience that we have in criminal law.
Speaking of experience - you will need to appreciate that the costs of hiring a defence lawyer will be a significant expense for you to incur. Defending even basic charges involves hours of preparation and strategic planning in order to ensure the best outcomes. Your lawyer will take all steps to ensure that the costs incurred in defending your rights are reasonable and necessary. However, you should prepare to set aside funds for the cost of legal representation.
The lawyer you choose to retain will provide a detailed overview of their hourly or set fee for defending the charges, including what fees may be expected if the matter proceeds to a trial. As well, the lawyer will regularly provide you with an updated bill so that there are no surprises. Depending on the nature of your charges, these expenses can be spread out over time as work is performed on your file so that the costs are more manageable.
You can learn more about the legal fees we charge.
At Pyzer Criminal Law, our team of experienced defence lawyers have years of experiencing defending criminal cases in Toronto and Ontario of all sizes. We are the right choice to defend your charges because we are committed to your case 100%, raise every realistic and viable defense, and leverage the inner-workings of the criminal justice system to ensure the best possible outcomes in your case.
If you’re ready to learn more about how Pyzer Criminal Law can help with your criminal charges, contact our office today to schedule a free case evaluation. We will sit down with you to learn more about your particular charges and to begin crafting a legal strategy.
When you are facing criminal charges, the best decision you can make is trusting an experienced criminal lawyer to defend you. Retaining a lawyer at the earliest possible opportunity will allow our team to immediately start working on a resolution for your charges.
