Let me start with saying that do-it-yourself lawyering has its limits. Surely, you can draft contracts by yourself, you can survive gruesome negotiations with your company clients, you can settle a marital dispute among yourselves but when the requirement to come quickly to court arises, you need to get a lawyer. Expenses will undoubtedly be incurred, professional fees will need to be paid and the usually lengthy process will need to be endured. More often than not, the expense of resolving an issue are far more than the expense of steering clear of the problem. Prevention, reported by users, is always much better than cure. So hire a lawyer and hire a great one.
Qualifications
The “practice of law” is loosely defined as ministering to the legal needs of another individual by the applying of legal principles and knowledge by way of a person trained in the law. By this definition however, a paralegal or even a secretary who has knowledge of the laws, who has been “trained” by the sheer fact of getting been employed for a time frame in a law firm, is known as engaged in the practice of law. When locating a lawyer therefore, choose a “qualified” lawyer. Meaning, make certain that your lawyer has successfully completed his law course, has successfully passed the bar examinations and is licensed to apply in the very jurisdiction in which a particular legal relief is asked for. When facing a legal dispute, the final thing you’ll need is a bogus lawyer. It’s perfectly ethical to ask for a lawyer license when you even begin to generally share your innermost secrets with them. Normally though, they’d hang their certifications on the wall.
Expertise
Every qualified lawyer has their own expertise. He might be a professional in just about any one of the following kinds of law: international law, labor law, civil law, taxation law, litigation, or criminal law. They’re the major categories. Thus, you may hear of a litigation lawyer or an immigration lawyer. Note however, that lawyers’ specializations are “acquired” through experience, not since they think they’re great at it.
Personal Qualities
That is taking care of of lawyering in which a young, inexperienced lawyer can actually get before a skilled one. Young lawyers are usually vibrant, supportive and sympathetic. They tend to deal with their clients like their babies. They look after every little detail, even the unimportant ones. But this exactly is how paying clients want to be treated. Clients have a tendency to feel they are getting their money’s worth with the type of attention they’re getting.
The private qualities to consider in a lawyer depend greatly on the type of client you are. If you are the no-nonsense type, you may prefer to hire an older, retirable lawyer. These types of lawyer are less enthusiastic about what you have to say. Sometimes, they’re not enthusiastic about what they have to say. Lawyering has changed into a routine for them, just like brushing their teeth in the morning. But their experience is impeccable. Their strategies are tried and tested so that your chance at winning your case is considerably high if you get them.
So at this point you have a qualified, expert and credible lawyer having the personal qualities you look for. Another thing to consider is whether that lawyer is plaintiff available to attend to your problem. More often than not, your lawyer will say he is willing, able and happy to help you. Behold, he explained the same thing to several others today, and the other day, and the week before that. The purpose is, a lawyer can only just achieve this much. He can’t be attending hearings all at exactly the same time. He could possibly resort to cancelling or rescheduling hearings and important meetings to produce ends meet. If your chosen lawyer has a law firm, there may certainly be other lawyers who can attend for you in the event he is not available. You will see this acceptable although not until your case has been reassigned from one hand to another.
Having a “professional” lawyer is so much different from a having a lawyer who were able to “appear” professional. They claim that lawyering is 80% representation. The representation begins when you meet your client. A lawyer would normally provide you with the “lawyer look”— wears a suit, clean-cut, drives a black luxury car, and brings a suit case. This, however, isn’t what defines professionalism. Professionalism means that your lawyer does attend to your preferences, makes his research, beats the deadlines, and returns your phone calls. So don’t be fooled by the lawyer-look alone. It would be great if your lawyer can pull it off with the lawyer look and the genuine professionalism though.