San Antonio Criminal Defense Attorney
Experienced Trial Lawyer
Welcome to my website. I am a San Antonio defense attorney and trial lawyer. I hope that you find the information here interesting and useful. When I appear on television, on the radio, or even when I speak to people on the street, one question gets asked more than any other:
How do I find an attorney?
I've put together my top ten tips for finding and selecting an attorney. Whether you are selecting a defense attorney to defend a criminal charge or choosing a civil lawyer to represent you in court, it is a very important decision. Through the years, I have tried over a hundred jury trials in criminal and civil courts and in my experience, if you follow these ten tips you will be well on your way to making a good decision when hiring an attorney.
Sincerely, Stephen Foster
1) Get started. Don't worry if you don't know where to start. Make a phone call to a lawyer, send an e-mail to an attorney, or search for lawyers on Google. Lawyers.com is an excellent place to start your search. Once you find a lawyer you are considering, check out their profile on the State Bar of Texas website to make sure they haven't gotten themselves into trouble.
2) Don't hurry. Don't waste time getting a lawyer, but make sure that you are comfortable with your decision. Picking a lawyer is a very important decision. If a lawyer makes you feel rushed, don't feel bad about walking away.
3) Make sure your lawyer has experience. Don't let a lawyer get his experience at your expense.
4) Pick a lawyer that focuses on the area of law with which you need help. You wouldn't pick a foot doctor to operate on your ears. It is the same thing with an attorney. DWI cases, drug crimes, sex crimes, white collar crimes and civil lawsuits all have unique caselaw that an experienced attorney knows.
5) Get a trial lawyer. Even if your case is probably going to settle out of court, having a real trial lawyer is a huge advantage. Other attorneys know which attorneys can and will take their cases to a jury and which attorneys are bluffing and will eventually take whatever they are offered by the other side's attorney or a prosecutor. In San Antonio, most top trial attorneys are members of the San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association. You can't just pay money and join. The selection process is strict. Naturally, Stephen Foster is a proud member of the San Antonio Trial Lawyers Association.
6) Be open and honest with your lawyer. The more your lawyer knows about your case (good and bad) the more the lawyer can prepare.
7) Spend a few minutes writing down a few details (names and phone numbers of people involved and a brief description of what happened) for your attorney. It doesn't have to be elaborate or typed, but giving your attorney somewhere to start is always appreciated.
8) Interview attorneys until you find one you trust. I spend a long time interviewing people that want to work for me. You should do the same when choosing a lawyer.
9) Pick an attorney that listens . . . not just talks. In order to represent you, your lawyer needs to know what you want, what you don't care about, etc. If a lawyer doesn't listen, he won't be able to give you what you want, need, and deserve.
10) Pick an attorney that cares. Your case is the most important case in the world to you. Why would anyone pick a lawyer that didn't understand that?
