There are advantages and disadvantages to hiring a lawyer from the same place where you were charged with an offence, and if you have questions about choosing counsel, see our guide on how to find the best lawyer. If you have been charged in a rural area, it is unlikely that a local lawyer will have the same degree of specialization in a particular area of criminal law as a lawyer from a bigger city who practices criminal law exclusively.
Lawyers who specialize exclusively in criminal law may be able to advance novel or technical defences that a more generalized lawyer would not be familiar with, for example the best defences to a firearms charge. The greater the complexity and uniqueness of the charge you face, the further you may need to go to find a lawyer with experience in that particular area. A local lawyer in a rural area will, however, have a greater familiarity with the day-to-day idiosyncrasies of that jurisdiction, and will also have a greater familiarity with the Crown Prosecutors and Court clerks working in the area, which can be helpful once you retain a lawyer.
