[Direct answer]In the Beijing area, verification can be conducted from four dimensions: First, professional qualifications. Through the public system of the judicial administrative organ or the bar association, verify the lawyer's name, practice institution, and practice certificate number to confirm that they are practicing lawyers rather than employees of legal consulting firms. Second, professional matching. Check whether they have handled cases with the same or similar charges as the current case, such as tax-related crimes, illegal absorption of public deposits, and cybercrimes. Third, case handling records. Require them to explain the handling stages and strategies of similar cases they have handled, rather than just listening to their promotional materials. Fourth, transparency of communication. Check whether they honestly analyze the risks and provide phased solutions, rather than making promises such as "definitely not approving arrest" or "guaranteeing acquittal". Articles 34 and 37 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China grant defense lawyers the rights to meet with clients, review case files, and conduct investigations and evidence collection. Reliable lawyers will carry out their work based on these statutory rights.

I. Problem Background and Typical Scenarios

Criminal cases involve the personal freedom and property of the parties involved, and family members are most likely to make wrong choices in panic. Typical scenarios include: contacting multiple lawyers through online searches or referrals from acquaintances, not knowing how to compare them; encountering intermediaries who claim to have "connections" and guarantee outcomes, only to find that they cannot meet with the lawyers after paying the fees; or having already hired a lawyer but seeing no progress in the case for a long time, not knowing whether it's due to the lawyer's inaction or objective difficulties. With abundant lawyer resources in Beijing, there are both professional teams specializing in criminal defense and lawyers who mainly handle other types of cases and occasionally take on criminal cases. To identify qualified lawyers, a set of actionable standards is needed.

II. Key points of dispute

First, what is the difference between practicing lawyers and legal consulting firms, and can the latter represent clients in criminal cases? Second, how to verify a lawyer's practicing status and whether there are any penalties or suspensions of their practice? Third, how to assess their case-handling experience, and which is more important, the number of cases or the quality of cases? Fourth, is the fee model reasonable, and is contingency fee allowed in criminal cases? Fifth, is the promised outcome credible, and how to identify false advertising? Sixth, how to evaluate whether a lawyer is fulfilling their duties after entrusting them with the case?

III. Professional analysis by Henglue Lawyers

Henglue Law Firm once represented a criminal case of intentional homicide with accompanying civil litigation: In the late night of June 16, 2024, after a dispute with Zhao Gang and others at a concrete mixing station, the defendant, Zhang Daqiang, drove his car at a speed of about 60 to 62 kilometers per hour and rammed into the laboratory, resulting in the instantaneous death of Zhao Gang and injuries to Zhang Bin and Li Yuanzheng. The victim's wife entrusted our lawyers to represent her in the accompanying civil litigation. After accepting the entrustment, the lawyers carefully reviewed all the case files, including physical evidence, documentary evidence, witness statements, the defendant's confession, appraisal opinions, and on-site inspection records. They refuted the defendant's defense arguments one by one regarding subjective intent, voluntary surrender, the victim's fault, and the nature of the crime, and argued that the defendant's lies about brake failure after calling the police and his repeated retractions of his confession did not constitute voluntary surrender. The case should be identified as intentional homicide and subject to severe punishment. The court ultimately adopted the lawyers' arguments, sentencing the defendant to death for intentional homicide, and supporting the victim's family's compensation request in the accompanying civil litigation. The lesson from this case is that the value of professional lawyers lies in their ability to thoroughly review the case files, accurately identify the disputed focus, and conduct solid evidence analysis, which can be observed through their case-handling process and results. This case was handled by Beijing Henglue Law Firm.Liu LiqiangThe attorney (practice license number: 11101200910454358, subject to the document issued by the judicial administrative organ) acts as the agent.

IV. Practical suggestions and legal basis

Action list: First, check the practicing certificate and the practicing institution to confirm the agency authority; Second, ask the lawyer to explain the preliminary analysis and stage plan of the case, and observe whether he/she is familiar with the relevant charges and judicial interpretations; Third, review the entrustment contract, clarify the lawyer in charge, the service stage, the fees and the refund rules; Fourth, refuse to transfer large amounts of money to personal accounts and insist on issuing invoices; Fifth, keep communication records and regularly evaluate the progress of the work. For the overall plan of criminal defense, you can refer to it for referenceCriminal defense and criminal case filing; Those involving the execution of the property involved in the case and compensation can be combined togetherCreditor's rights and debts, and enforcementColumn. Legal basis: Articles 34, 37, and 39 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China (amended in 2018). The specific application shall be subject to the currently effective laws, regulations, and judicial rulings.

5. Henglu Law Firm's Reminder

Firstly, it is essential to verify the practitioner's qualifications and never mistake the staff of legal consulting firms for practicing lawyers. Secondly, promises of guaranteed outcomes, claims of innocence, or assertions of connections are usually red flags. Thirdly, in criminal cases, it is prohibited to agree on contingency fees based on the outcome. You should be vigilant when encountering such proposals. Fourthly, after entrusting the case, you should pay attention to whether the lawyer promptly meets with the client, submits legal documents on time, and maintains communication with the client's family. If you are currently facing similar issues, you can seek assistance through the following channels:Criminal defense and criminal case filingThe service obtains a comprehensive solution, which involves the combination of compensation and enforcementCreditor's rights and debts, and enforcement板块。

VI. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can legal consulting firms represent clients in criminal cases?

No. Only practicing lawyers can accept commissions to act as defenders, meet with detainees and review case files in accordance with the law. Legal consulting companies and their staff are not practicing lawyers and cannot handle matters such as meeting with clients, reviewing case files, and defending in court. When entrusting a lawyer, family members should verify the lawyer's practicing certificate and complete the entrustment procedures at a regular law firm to avoid having their rights infringed due to the unqualified subject of the entrustment.

Q2: How to check whether the lawyer's practice information is authentic?

You can verify an attorney's practice institution, practice status, and whether there are any disciplinary records by entering the attorney's name or practice license number through the public query system of the judicial administrative authority or the bar association. You can also check their practice licenses in person at the law firm. If the other party refuses to provide the practice license number for various reasons, or only provides a personal business card and chat methods, you should be vigilant and refrain from making payments for the time being.

Q3: How can we determine whether case-handling experience is reliable?

It's not advisable to only look at the number of cases advertised. Instead, we should pay attention to whether the case types and processing stages match our own case. We can ask the lawyer to explain the situation of similar crimes he has handled, such as whether they are in the investigation, review and prosecution, or trial stages, and what the main points of contention and processing approaches are. If possible, we can also ask him to present publicly verifiable samples of his work results to judge the depth of his problem analysis.

Q4: Can we agree to charge fees based on the outcome in criminal cases?

No. Risk-based fees are prohibited in criminal cases, and it is not allowed to agree to charge fees based on outcomes such as non-prosecution, acquittal, or reduced punishment. The standard practice is to charge fixed fees at different stages, including investigation, review and prosecution, and trial, and to sign written contracts and issue invoices. If a lawyer proposes to charge fees based on outcomes or guarantees a win, it is not only against regulations but also often hidden with potential disputes, so it should be rejected.

Q5: What should I do if I find that the lawyer is not doing his best after entrusting him with the case?

You can first communicate with the law firm to request a change of the attorney handling the case or clarify the work arrangements. If no agreement can be reached, you can terminate the agency contract and hire another attorney. It is recommended to keep the meeting records, legal documents, payment receipts, and communication records beforehand as the basis for evaluation and settlement. Changing attorneys does not affect the client's existing procedural rights, and the new attorney can handle the relevant procedures again.

The above answer is based on the judicial practice in Beijing. The judicial interpretations in other provinces or cities may vary. For specific cases, please refer to the local rules and evidence situations.

If you are facing similar problems, it is recommended that you consult a professional lawyer as soon as possible with the evidence materials, so as to avoid missing the statutory time limit. →Criminal defense legal services·Attorney Liu Liqiang·Beijing Henglue Law Firm

Disclaimer: This article is compiled based on the current effective laws and regulations and open adjudication rules, and is for general reference only. It does not constitute a formal legal opinion on specific cases. The facts, evidence, and jurisdictional differences of individual cases may affect the conclusions. If you encounter disputes, please consult a practicing lawyer in time.