Should You Change Your Lawyer for an Appeal?

Dealing with a court case or a plea bargain is never easy. You may have felt pressured to plead guilty despite your innocence, or you may feel that the courts made a mistake. Deciding to appeal your case can be a difficult decision, but it can even more difficult if you feel overwhelmed by the process. Here are few steps to simplify the process.

Find an Appeals Attorney

At any point, you can choose to stop retaining your lawyer. There is no obligation to use the same lawyer for all parts of your trial. Attorneys don’t always handle both trials and appeals, so making sure you find someone who specializes in appeals will be crucial to your success. It is important that you choose an attorney who specializes in the area of law that you are dealing with. Unlike a trial, you are not entering new evidence.

Do Your Research

When you decide you want to appeal your case, there are a few things to consider when making a decision about who your lawyer will be. Start by talking to your current lawyer. Some criminal defense lawyers specialize in criminal defense and appeals, but some law firms don’t handle appeals. If they don’t specialize in appeals, they will probably have some recommendations for you. If they also handle appeals, it may be helpful to stick with them, unless you had a bad experience with them.

Get Consultations

If you decide to hire a new lawyer, do not pick the first one you find. Find several different attorneys that seem to fit your needs and have a consultation with each of them. Law firms usually provide a free consultation for new clients. These consultations will allow you to get a feel for the attorney you may be working with. They can also help you figure out what your chance of success with an appeal will be and what kind of appeal you are filing.

Move Quickly

You only have a limited amount of time to file for an appeal, and it usually takes a fair amount of paperwork. While you need to do your research, you also need to move quickly so you don’t lose your opportunity. The amount of time you have depends on the crime and your location.

While it may seem stressful, having an experienced lawyer on your side, whether it was your original attorney or a new one, gives you the best chance of being successful in your appeal.

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Tim Esterdahl

Tim Esterdahl is the editor of IFCS blog. He is a married father of three and enjoys golf in his spare time.

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