Top Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers: Finding A Top Lawyer for Your Case
Introduction
Have you been charged with a crime in Toronto? You’re likely scouring Google to locate Top Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers to assist with your representation. How do you figure out who the “top” defence lawyers are, given the volume of criminal defense attorneys in Toronto? That is certainly not an easy task.
Many criminal lawyers market themselves as the “best” or the “top”. It’s worth noting that there are ethical rules in place that restrict a lawyer from making those claims; however, the marketing strategy can still be found online.
In this article, a strategy is offered to locate the “top” criminal lawyer for you – as it will be you and only you working with that lawyer, and a good “fit” is key in order for you to have success in your case.
An article has been written about how to locate the “best” domestic assault lawyer on this website. Many of the tactics from that approach are listed here. Reading both articles would be helpful for you and your search.
Andrew Captan, an experienced Toronto Criminal Lawyer, and the author of these articles, is available for a consultation by calling (647) 878-6355, e-mailing andrew@captanlaw.com or visiting his website HERE.
What do Criminal Defence Lawyers Do
Criminal Defense Attorneys in Toronto defend individuals charged with crimes. This work includes:
- Assisting a suspect with turning themselves into police
- Assisting accused people with getting bail
- Appearing in court through the criminal court process
- Assisting with guilty plea and sentencing hearings
- Assisting with trials
- Conducting legal research and drafting memos for cases
A Toronto Criminal Lawyer will assist you in all of the above areas relating to criminal charges, not simply traffic tickets or regulatory offences. Examples of criminal charges include:
But what makes a criminal lawyer one of the “Top” Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers? In what follows, a list of these features will be offered. Keep in mind that a “top” lawyer for you may be different than a “top” lawyer for another person. Everyone has different preferences, personalities and idiosyncrasies. The key is to locate the best or top lawyer for you (and only you).
Knowledge of Criminal Law and Procedure
You are seeking to retain a Toronto Criminal Lawyer for one reason and one reason only: their legal expertise and, in particular, their expertise in criminal defence.
Some lawyers are more experienced than others. With experience, comes knowledge. However, not all experienced criminal lawyers are the most knowledgeable. Accordingly, when retaining a Toronto Criminal Lawyer, be prepared to ask the right questions and don’t be shy to. After all, criminal lawyers know that it takes good, pointed questions to achieve positive results, given their key skill of cross-examination (which involves asking a series of pointed question to a witness).
To get a sense of the Toronto Criminal Lawyer’s knowledge base, you can ask them about the following:
- What their experience level is with the type of charge you are facing
- To be able to provide you with an idea as to how they may defend you, drawing on their knowledge of criminal law and procedure and making reference to the law while they outline their approach
- What their trial experience level is like
- Will they be able to explain difficult legal concepts in simple ways to you
- Their ability to rely on constitutional applications, where necessary, such as Charter applications, challenges to the law itself, amongst other more complicated applications
- Are they appraised of the most recent developments in criminal law on the subject matter surrounding your charges (for example, DUI law is often involving, and was heavily overhauled in 2018, so the question is fair, even though a criminal lawyer may take offence to it!)
Success in Obtaining Positive Outcomes in Criminal Court
“Top” notch Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers will have a knack for obtaining positive results in criminal court and for their clients —- not just for simple cases, but also the more challenging ones. Criminal Defense Attorneys in Toronto who are able to obtain positive outcomes for clients in the following situations are likely ones that are considered “top tier” lawyers:
- Strong track records for obtaining positive results for serious Criminal Charges
- Strong track records for resolving cases without criminal convictions
- Strong track records for winning challenging trials
It may not be easy to determine which criminal lawyers fit this bill, as you may be relying on self reporting from the lawyer themselves to answer these questions. However, you could also use Google searches to see what others have said about the lawyer, whether it be Google reviews or articles in the media.
Skilled and Tactical Negotiators
Finding a lawyer who can put an end to your case without actually proceeding to trial is key. Top Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers will have the ability to resolve both simple and more complex criminal cases without the need of a trial in your favour.
A trial, especially where there is a lot on the line, and where there is evidence against the accused, may be a risky feat. It may be in an accused persons interests to avoid a trial with the objective to secure a positive outcome before hand. This can also lead to cost savings, since trials will be more work for a criminal lawyer.
Effective Client Management and Communication Skills
While it seems like a simple task, one of the biggest complaints from clients of criminal lawyers is that they are not kept in the loop sufficiently in their case. The complaint arises time and time again, leading to accused people firing their lawyers and seeking new counsel.
So, on top of all the other skills above, Top Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers will be effective and communicating with clients and managing their needs. This includes:
- Providing updates when there is one
- Providing an update when there is no new progress and time has elapsed
- Being polite and courteous to the client, and respectful of their circumstances and challenges
- Connecting the client to external resources that may appear to be needed, such as counselling
Conclusion
Your process for securing one of the Top Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers hopefully was made a bit easier after reading this article. The key take aways are:
- There are many excellent (or Top) Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers, but you need to find “your” top lawyer (which may differ from someone else’s
- You can and should ask the right questions during your consultations with Criminal Defense Attorneys in Toronto, probing their experience, knowledge and skill set
- You can and should ask about the lawyer’s ability to resolve complex criminal charges in favourable ways, and provide examples of such — after all, a not so very good criminal lawyer may secure withdrawals for all of their clients in each and every case, but may only take on simple cases that are suitable for withdrawals.
- Communication with your lawyer needs to be consistent and thorough — Top Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers will give your case the time of day to answer questions and provide consistent updates
Andrew Captan – Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer
Andrew Captan is a Toronto Criminal Lawyer practicing exclusively in criminal defence law, and has been doing so for almost 15 years. He assists clients with a wide range of charges, from Theft Under $5,000 to Murder and anything in between.
He offers a practical, honest and effective approach to defending criminal cases, and strives to achieve the best result possible given the circumstances at hand. By hiring Mr. Captan, you will receive the following:
- An experienced criminal defence lawyer (not a junior associate or paralegal dedicated to all key aspects of your defence)
- A lawyer who does not delegate any important legal work, so that your case is given the utmost priority
- A lawyer who will never leave you in the dark and will ensure you receive timely updates. Where there is no important information to update you with and time has elapsed, you will continue to receive “check-in” e-mails to ensure you are appraised of the “wait”
- A lawyer who is dedicate to helping all clients achieve the best possible legal results
- A lawyer who has access to resources in the community and can make referrals that may be integral to a positive outcome in your case
- For a free consultation for your criminal case, call (647) 878 – 6355, e-mail andrew@captanlaw.com or visit his website HERE.
