If you have given thought to hiring a criminal attorney you no doubt have many unanswered questions. Regardless of if you call them a defense attorney or a criminal lawyer, when faced with a crime you need to consult with one.

Once you have been charged with a crime and have no legal representation, you need to search for an attorney and many people like yourself have no idea how to approach this process.

Our nation's court systems have become complex and for that reason, when faced with a criminal charge you need a criminal lawyer. You do not want to handle this yourself. So how much does a defense attorney cost? The only way that you can find that out is to ask your defense attorney what he or she charges. If you talk with your defense attorney there are many options to handle the fee and the key to discovering these is to just ask.

So the next question that often comes up is where do you find a great criminal lawyer? You might want to ask your friends and family or another trusted source such as a doctor you trust. You can also look in the phone book or newspaper. You can also search the online directories and websites.

After you start the selection of your defense attorney you will want to ask him or her many other questions and not just how much do you charge. You will want to know if the lawyer has a special area of law they practice. You will also want to know if they have handled cases similar to yours before. Feel free to ask them about the outcome of those past cases.

Another question of consideration is if they will be the only person that will be assigned to handle your case. If they answer no to that question you will want to ask who else will be on your case and ask about their experience as well.

You will also want to know if there is anything that you can do to help your own case. You might ask if there is any legal research you can help with to keep the costs down but only do this if you are qualified and feel comfortable doing so.

You will also need to know if there is a charge for the initial consultation and how much that is. Ask what to do in case you need to reach your criminal attorney after hours. Ask if the lawyer has attended any continued education classes in the past few years.

Don't forget to ask about the actual court room case and the procedures there. Make sure you understand everything and ask the criminal lawyer about anything you don't understand. Remember that your attorney works for you. Before coming to a final decision, do your homework. It is important you feel completely comfortable talking to your attorney and that they understand and listen to you; they will be your voice in the courtroom.