When not to hire us
We are a small criminal-defense firm. We take a limited number of cases and we work them hard. That means there are people who should hire someone else.
You can’t pay our fees
We charge at least $10,000. That’s the minimum, for a misdemeanor with potential jail time. More serious cases cost more. If the budget for the case is closer to $1,500, hire someone else who will take that fee, or accept appointed counsel. We will not undercharge to win the work, because cases that are underpaid get the work that fits the fee.
You want a lawyer who promises an outcome
Anyone who tells you what your case will resolve for, before they have read the offense report, watched the body-camera video, met the prosecutor on the case, and worked the file, is not telling you the truth. We do not promise outcomes. If you need to hear a promise to feel comfortable, hire the lawyer who will give you one.
You have an “easy case”
Related to the fee and the guarantee, if you think your case is an “easy” one then you don’t need us. If your intention is to take pretrial diversion on a first-time misdemeanor, we are overkill, and we’d discourage you from paying our fees.
For more on what “dismissed” means when a defense lawyer advertises hundreds of them, see What “Dismissed” Means in a Defense Lawyer’s Marketing.
You want to direct the strategy
The client decides the goals of the representation: trial or plea, testify or not, what to plead to. The lawyer decides the strategy: what motions to file, what witnesses to call, what arguments to make. We will listen to you—often our clients have ideas that we are able to incorporate into their defense—but if you want to hire a lawyer to follow your instructions on strategy, find one who will. We will not.
Your case is outside our practice
We handle Texas criminal defense: trials and appeals statewide, post-conviction relief, and federal cases in the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas. We do not handle:
- Family law (custody, divorce)
- Civil litigation (lawsuits)
- Immigration (deportation defense, asylum, visas)
- Personal injury
- Class C misdemeanors (traffic court), unless there’s enough at stake to pay our minimum fee
- Cases pending in courts outside of Texas
If your matter is in any of those categories, we will tell you to find someone else when you call. Save yourself the call.
You are already represented
This isn’t really a reason not to hire us, but if you have hired a lawyer and are thinking about changing lawyers, see Can I Change Criminal-Defense Lawyers?
If you are ready to hire us
Call 713-224-1747.