Well, the first thing that somebody needs to do is figure out what their objectives are. Also, it’s important to figure out what their budget is as well as how much the outcome of a particular case means to you in deciding what the budget constraint is going to be.
Then, it takes some legwork to research attorneys who best practice criminal defense in the particular jurisdiction you have been charged. Then, you need to call up and set up phone conferences with the attorneys. Attorneys usually provide some amount of time or free consultation at least over the phone or you can also request to have basic rate consultation with an attorney. Some are more willing than others to do that.
I do provide free consultations to people that want to talk to me about their case. I’m happy to provide them with an assessment of how I see their case stands and what they might expect. In addition, given the limited information I might have at that particular time, I could propose a set of strategies if I were to handle the case.
So, the same resources that I just discussed in the previous question can be used also to find the best criminal defense attorney particular to the needs in your case in Virginia. There are different sites that allow for ratings such as AVVO from people that have used the services of other attorneys so it is an invaluable resource.