First things first, the ads you clicked on that said “we’re the best lawyers” and “97% success rate” do not belong to the best lawyers; they are more likely to belong to the best at marketing.

Leading litigators such as Brian Greenspan and Alan Gold do not spend their time making videos. Instead, they read, they litigate, and they get the best results for their clients. They influence the course of law in the appellate courts, not through Instagram posts.

So what qualities should you look for when selecting the best criminal defence lawyer?

(1) Seek out a lawyer that practices exclusively in criminal defence. Lawyers who work in various fields are unlikely to have the expertise of those focused on one.

(2) Watch out for lawyers who promise you results, so long as you pay. That is not how the law works. Be prepared for those same lawyers shifting the blame on you when they cannot deliver.

(3) Speak with the lawyer. Are they listening? Are they taking the time to explain the relevant law? Conversely, is the conversation focused on how dire the situation is and the need to make a payment?

At Dominion Criminal Defence, the best way to find out whether we are the best lawyers, or perhaps, the best lawyers for you, is to give us a call.

Your first court date is nothing to panic about. It is not a trial, there are no witnesses, nor will the officers be present. Although the courtroom opens at 9:30 a.m., there may be hundreds of people on the list to address.

If you have a lawyer, you will not have to attend. In fact, you may never step into a courtroom, virtually or otherwise.

Anyone charged with a criminal offence is expected to go through a series of steps: obtain a copy of the disclosure, meet with the Crown, meet with the Crown and a judge, then, if necessary, set a date for the trial.

These steps can take months—sometimes years—to get through; consequently, the court requires an accused to check in periodically to ensure that their matter progresses. Your first court appearance is simply the first “check-in date”.

At a first appearance, your lawyer will let the court know that he/she represents you, identify your preferred language, waive the reading of your charge(s) (so your charges are not read aloud), and inform the court that he/she will order the disclosure from the Crown. Your lawyer will then suggest a next date to provide the court with another update. This date will usually be a few weeks out and on the same day of the week. At that point, your appearance is complete.

These appearances continue until the charge is stayed/withdrawn or a date for a guilty plea or trial is set.

Generally speaking, the answer is going to depend on whether or not you are a suspect or are at risk of being a suspect.

If you were simply a bystander who witnessed a crime, there is little reason not to provide a statement. Police are tasked with enforcing our laws. The more involved the community is, the better they become at performing their duties.

That changes when you are a suspect.

A detective will tell you that the phone call or the room that you are in is being recorded. He may then tell/ask you the following: “We want to hear your side of the story”, “If you don’t speak with us, we have to believe her”, or “Why would she lie?”

The detective will not expect a confession; he does not need one. What he is likely after are admissions. “Yes, I know her. We went out on a date.” “We had a few drinks then went back to her place.” “Everything was consensual.”

Where they began with only the complainant’s statement as evidence, police now have yours verifying much of what she said. You may have provided the very evidence prosecutors required to obtain a conviction.

At Dominion Criminal Defence, we have an urgent line for situations like this. An experienced criminal defence lawyer will explain what to expect and traps to avoid.

The amount you will have to pay, generally speaking, depends on the complexity of your matter, the quality of the lawyer, and whether your matter can be resolved without the need for a trial. You may be looking at a few thousand to tens of thousands.

This range is why it is important to retain a lawyer with upfront pricing.

To benefit from upfront pricing, you may want to hire a lawyer who works on a block-fee basis. A block fee is simply a set fee for set service. For example, a fee for all the services that come before a trial (e.g., reviewing the evidence, court appearances, resolution discussions with the prosecutor). Should the matter go to trial, there can be a block fee for that stage as well.

What you need to be careful with are hourly retainers. This means, the lawyer will bill you hourly for the work he or she does on your file. They may only ask for one thousand upfront but that money will disappear quickly when that same lawyer is billing you five-hundred dollars an hour. Once that money is gone, you will be expected to pay thousands more upfront; otherwise, the lawyer will walk away from your file. Another stressful feature of this fee structure are the surprise bills. Just when you think you have everything paid up, you may receive a new invoice in the mail.

At Dominion Criminal Defence, we bill on a block-fee basis with all pricing upfront. We offer flexible payment plans with no surprise bills.

Simply call or fill out the submission form.

A member from Dominion Criminal Defence will reach out to you the same day. The team member will collect basic information from you before forwarding your matter to one of our lawyers.

The lawyer will listen to what you have to say and answer any question you may have. At the end of the conversation, you will be provided with a number to call if you choose to retain us. This is our no-pressure approach.

Once retained, we take over.

We will obtain a copy of the evidence, appear on your behalf in court, and zealously advocate your position with the Crown. Should it become necessary, you will receive intensive one-on-one preparation for testifying at trial.

If you have been or may be charged with a criminal offence, contact the team at Dominion Criminal Defence today.