To find the right lawyer to win your case, follow your gut.

There is nothing more daunting, more terrifying, that an arrest for a serious felony crime, such as murder, rape, robbery or drug trafficking. The forces against you are immense and every agency involved in your arrest wants to throw you under the bus and lock you up for the maximum sentence.

So, which lawyer do you hire to fight for you? Which lawyer will fight to win your case?

The decision to hire a lawyer will absolutely affect whether you walk free or go to prison for the rest of your life.

So, what criteria do you use?

It's simple. You follow your gut.

How is it that simple? You ask. Well, your gut never lies. Your mind will negotiate, but your gut will tell you the truth.

Every day people come into my office to consult with me about their criminal charges. I always tell them the same thing: Talk to as many lawyers as you can and then go with your gut. They always ask, why?

I always say the same thing. Your gut is your instinct. Your instinct is your survival mechanism. Your instincts will tell you whether this lawyer or that lawyer is going to fight to save you from a terrible fate.

One of the saddest situations I have to deal with as a lawyer is meeting people who come see me after they hired another lawyer, went to trial and lost, or even worse, after they pleaded guilty because their lawyer told them they couldn't win. The worst situations are always the ones where the person hired some lawyer because a friend or a parent told them to and that lawyer was completely wrong for the case.

These people almost always say, "You know, my instincts told me this lawyer wasn't doing a good job for me," or "My wife told me to change lawyers but I didn't listen."

To find the right lawyer who will fight to win your case, you've got to follow your gut!

If the lawyer gives you a five minute consultation and isn't listening to you, follow your gut. If the lawyer evades your phone calls and doesn't respond to questions, follow your gut. If the lawyer will only talk to you in the hallway right before court, follow your gut. If the lawyer can't show you the motions and pleadings he's filed on your behalf, follow your gut. If the lawyer's secretary calls you back but never the lawyer, follow your gut. If the lawyer doesn't talk to your witnesses or can't explain how he will try your case, follow your gut.

Listen to the amazing survival instinct you have in your own body. Pick the lawyer your instincts tell you to hire.

If you listen to your gut, you'll be far better off than if you don't.

(Required by Alabama law: No representation is made that the quality of legal services is greater than other lawyers.)