The Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto

Introduction

If you’ve been charged with a criminal offence in Toronto, Ontario, then you are probably looking to retain a Toronto Criminal Lawyer immediately, given the significance of the stakes in criminal court.

You have have narrowed your search, looking on Google for “The Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto“, given the stakes you are up against.

While your goal make sense, in that you want to find the “best” lawyer to have the “best” chances of succeeding with your case, it is next to impossible to single out any Toronto Criminal Lawyer as the Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto.  Criminal Lawyers in Toronto are prohibited from advertising that they are the “best”.   Objectively speaking, it is difficult to determine who is the best in this field of law. That said, your objective should be to find the Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto FOR YOU!

This article is used for you to be able to find the Criminal Lawyer that is best for you, in particular – for your own needs, preferences, financial situation and particular accommodations that are necessary.

For a free consultation with the author of this article, who is also a Toronto Criminal Lawyer, please visit his website HERE.

What is a Criminal Offence

While the answer to the question may seem obvious, people sometimes fail to distinguish crimes from other offences. Criminal offences will fall under criminal law legislation, particularly:

• The Criminal Code of Canada
• The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• The Youth Criminal Justice Act
• The Cannabis Act

For example, if you are charged with an offence under the Highway Traffic Act, even though you may be at risk of a jail sentence for some of the offences under the Act (such as careless driving causing death), these are not crimes.

Examples of Crimes in Toronto

There are a wide variety of crimes that you can be charged with. Some of the common ones that “clog” up the Court system in Toronto and throughout Canada alike include:

• Theft
• Mischief
• Assault
• DUI
• Dangerous Driving
• Robbery
• Break and Enter
• Criminal Harassment
• And Many More!

So, let’s fast forward to the point at which you have been charged by the police for a particular crime. You have been given a court date and perhaps a fingerprint date as well. You’ve never been involved in the criminal court process before, don’t know any lawyers and are too embarrassed to ask friends or family for a referral.  Here are some suggested steps to follow in locating the Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto — FOR YOU!

Step 1 – Develop a List of Toronto Criminal Lawyers by conducting an Internet Search

Whether you use Google, Yahoo or another search engine, here are some suggested “keywords” to input in order to make a list of potential Criminal Lawyers in Toronto that may be the best fit for you:

• Toronto Criminal Lawyer
• Criminal Lawyer Toronto
• Criminal Defence Lawyer Toronto
• Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer
• Toronto Defence Attorney
• Best Defence Attorney Toronto
• And More!

Make a list of about 10 Toronto Criminal Lawyers – ones that catch your eye due to factors such as:

• Apparent reviews
• Location and proximity to you
• Size of firm (you may prefer a larger firm or a smaller one, for example)
• Experience level of lawyers at firm
• Practice Niches (e.g. DUI, Domestic Violence, Drug Offences)

Step 2 – Make a Short List of Toronto Criminal Lawyers

At this stage, you ought to make a short list of Toronto Criminal Lawyers who each meet the most important criteria for you.  Run through the initial list you made and find three that check each of these boxes off.  You are slowly getting on your way to locate the Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto — FOR YOU!

Step 3 – Schedule a Consultation

My suggestion as far as the next step goes would be to setup a consultation with each of the three Criminal Lawyers or Criminal Law Firms in Toronto that made your short list.

Step 4:   What to ask during a consultation with a Toronto Criminal Lawyer

This is the most critical step, in my view, to ensure that you are locating the Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto for you. 

Here, note that Google Reviews are an obvious screening tool.      Some of these factors are ones to be explored by you as well:

• Find out which lawyer will be working on your case specifically

You want to ensure that the lawyer with whom you will be working is compatible with you and meets the criteria that you used to hire the law office.  

• What experience level the lawyer has

To determine experience levels in narrowing down your search for the Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto for you, some of the following factors can be inquired about:

• (a) How many years of experience as a lawyer does the person have?
• (b) Does the lawyer have experience in the area of criminal law that you have been charged in?
• (c) What is the lawyer’s trial experience?
• (d) What is the lawyer’s general strategy in defending the type of case you have?
• (e) Can the lawyer offer examples of cases that are similar in nature to yours where they can describe a positive outcome?

While experience, in and of itself, does not dictate case success, it may have a baring on it.

• What would the defence strategy be in your case

While it may be too early for the lawyer to come up with a specific strategy after a single consultation, the lawyer surely can offer some insight into potential ways in which they may assist you in your defence.   As far as strategies go, you may want to ask the following types of questions:

• Approximately how long do they usually take to complete their cases? 
• What are some of the common steps they follow in completing their cases? 
• What involvement do they require of you to assist them with their defence?
• What steps, if any, other than counselling might help achieve a positive outcome in the case?
• Would self defence be a possible defence strategy?

You at least want to hear some general commentary about how the lawyer might approach your case, so you are not met with surprises once the case and defence starts.

• Does the lawyer have any disciplinary infractions from the Law Society of Ontario

You may also inquire whether the lawyer has been disciplined at all by the Law Society of Ontario.  To do this, you don’t need to ask the lawyer him/herself, as this information is all public. You can visit the LSO’s website to locate the directory.

• Look out for red flags

If any Lawyer says any of the following, I would suggest caution in retaining them:

• They guarantee they will “win”
• They are the best lawyer ever
• They tell you that they will not be in communication with you once they take on the case and will just tell you what the outcome is
• They have never lost a case before
• You should hire them right away otherwise you are in trouble

Step 5:  Lawyer Fees

The final important aspect of locating the Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto is to determine whether the lawyer’s fees are a fit with you.   You should make inquiries with the lawyer about their fee structure, including:

• Whether they bill hourly or on a “block fee” (or flat fee) basis;
• What their hourly rate is;
• What their block fee rate is;
• Whether there will be any potential “hidden” fees or potential surprises as far as costs go;
• Whether there may be costs other than fees, such as disbursements (a disbursement is an expense a lawyer may incur in a case that is typically paid out by the client) 

Conclusion

I have provided a summary of how to go about retaining the Best Criminal Lawyer in Toronto or you. Keep in mind that this is only a guide and there could be other important and valuable tools that you may utilize in your search.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – ANDREW CAPTAN, CRIMINAL LAWYER

Andrew Captan is an experienced Toronto Criminal Lawyer. For a FREE consultation about your Assault case, you can call him at (647) 878 – 6355, e-mail him at andrew@captanlaw.com or visit his website HERE.