When a person gets arrested and charged with a criminal offense he has to be either released or held pending the court dealing with the charges. Most people are released pending the outcome of their case. There are many forms of release including a promise to appear, an undertaking, recognizance (with or without deposits), etc. For the purpose of this discussion, all releases will commonly be referred to as a "bail".

Sometimes you need to hire a criminal defense lawyer. Either you or someone close to you has a problem with the law. Most often this involves a person being charged with a criminal offense. If a person has a legal complication with some governmental agency or department the first order of business is to determine if you need legal help. Some problems are quite simple and can be managed without legal help; for example, a parking ticket.