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It is difficult to go through life without needing an answer to a legal question about a criminal case. Whether you are directly accused or you care about someone who has been arrested, you will have questions.

You may have questions because of specific problems. The first is whether to use a public defender, private counsel or self-representation. It is a common misconception that everyone can use a public defender. Realize that not everyone qualifies to do so. You must show that you cannot afford to hire private counsel. Even if you do qualify, it may be a better idea to hire someone who does not have an enormous caseload and who specializes in your type of case.

The next decision is how to select a criminal defense attorney. You can start by going to a site such as LawQA.com and submitting a question. Attorneys in your area are available to answer questions and this will help you get to know them a bit before retaining them.

One of the most important things about getting legal answers is to stay in communication and be truthful with the attorney. Due to confidentiality you can be comfortable telling your attorney everything. They can best help you if they know exactly what they are dealing with. It can really hurt you in court if your attorney is blindsided with information that you should have told them.

The main thing about asking legal questions is to remember that you should not talk to the police or anyone else. Only what you say to your attorney is confidential.