There are legal matters where people do not need to hire the services of attorneys. Small claim court cases and fighting speeding tickets are two instances. But there are many other situations that involve a deal, challenge, or legal dispute you cannot risk handling without the expertise of an experienced attorney.
Getting a good lawyer may not be cheap but it is better to get help when trying to get out of certain situations like a lost job, DUI violation, or a divorce. Each person may have a different legal situation, however, when you do not work with a lawyer in some instances, it can result in prison time, lost claims, or broken agreements.
Table of Contents
Why Do You Need a Lawyer?
Here are the reasons why you need to hire an attorney:
1. The Complications of the Law
If you are not an attorney, you are not expected to represent yourself in some legal situations. Even lawyers, whether experienced or not, do not prefer to stand for themselves in the court. You also need to understand that lawyers usually specialize in some areas of legal practice such as tax law or criminal defense. You can check here for other areas of practice.
Furthermore, a hard case can be unraveled quickly with the assistance of a trained, emotionally detached lawyer. Likewise, there are pitfalls that would have been avoided when you fail to use an attorney while reviewing contracts, starting your business, or undertaking other ventures that have legal ramifications.
2. It Can Make or Save You Money
What do you think is at stake? Civil cases may hurt your finances while criminal cases could determine whether there will be jail time. Meanwhile, most civil attorneys do not collect money from you except they have won your case. Additionally, as a plaintiff, you may be eligible to collect legal fees in civil cases. Therefore, getting an attorney can make or save you money.
3. Attorneys Can Challenge Any Evidence
You need a lawyer because they have the right legal background to know when evidence that is presented against you is false. They also know when a witness is presenting a testimony that is contradicting a previous statement. A lawyer will help you find out whether the evidence was properly handled by the crime lab and if not, the evidence will be suppressed.
4. Following Wrong Procedures or Filling Wrong Documents May Ruin the Case
Since you are not a lawyer, you may find it difficult to meet deadlines or understand the protocols for filling and filing some legal documents. And when the documents are not properly filled or turned in late, it may derail the case. It may also delay the legal procedure, or the case may be thrown out, but not to your own benefit.
5. Lawyers Can Help You Get Experts and Witnesses That You Need
Lawyers work with a large network consisting of professionals from different fields. They do so to help the cases of their clients. People who are not lawyers may not personally know what type of professionals can help them to discover or challenge a testimony or evidence from the opposing side.
6. They Can Help to Present Very Strong Cases
In court, when you admit a fault or plead guilty, that is not your only choice. Even when all evidence points at you directly, your lawyer can discuss all your options with you. That way, you can avoid possible severe penalties before the trial begins. You may want to read about the US sentencing guidelines: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-principlesofmanagement/chapter/u-s-sentencing-guidelines-for-organizations/
7. It’s Better to Prevent Problems than Try to Fix Them
Have you heard that “prevention is better than cure”? Actually, hiring an attorney in most cases can help to prevent some legal issues down the line. You may not totally understand the words in the contract you are about signing and its implications, but your lawyer will.
8. Lawyers Can Negotiate Plea Bargains and Settlements
Experienced lawyers have seen cases that are like yours. They also have enough knowledge that can help them make calculated guesses about how the case can be resolved when tried in court. Sometimes, it is better to settle out of court but in some other cases, you need to go to court. A lawyer can assist you in negotiating a settlement with the other party.
9. The Opposing Side May Have Legal Representation
You may be at a disadvantage if you do not have an attorney and you have issues with an opposing party or a business partner who has a legal representative. As we had earlier mentioned, the law is quite complicated. And a lawyer who is representing your opponent (whether adversarial or non-adversarial) will maximize the opportunity that this inequity brings.
You can read this article to know more about the adversarial system.
10. Lawyers often Consult for Free
Talking with a lawyer presents no harm because they usually offer a free one-on-one consultation. This meeting will make you understand whether you have a case, what type of case it is, and the possible outcome. That way, you will know whether you really need to use the services of an attorney.
11. You Cannot Predict What Will Happen Next
Something may happen tomorrow that may get you sued. At that moment, you may not have enough time to respond. You may also waste some of those limited hours trying to find an attorney. And when you finally get one, they are going to take some time to understand you and the situation at hand.
No one expects problems especially when it has to do with going to court. But when that legal bump surfaces, you will worry less because you already have a lawyer. Establishing a relationship with an attorney can help to reduce the time spent in explaining who you are and trying to backtrack your history.
A quick and effective response implies that you will have a good result and that will save you some money, too. In fact, the better you and your attorney know each other, the better they can assist you.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed the reasons why you need to get a lawyer. So, do not wait until a lawsuit has been filed against you or your business before you retain one.