A best selling author once said “There are 3 people who need to be a part of your team – A good lawyer, a good accountant and a good doctor.”
There is so much truth in that. Today, we are going to focus on how to choose a lawyer. There is a perception among several people that all lawyers are the same. I completely disagree with that. Not all lawyers are the same. Some lawyers are good at what they do, are knowledgeable about the law and understand how to deal with complex legal problems. There are others who may not be as good with their work as their counterparts.
Why do you need a lawyer?
If you have law suits against your firm, then obviously you need a lawyer to fight your case in court. Besides that, you need a lawyer to draft your legal contracts with employees, suppliers and to make sure you are legally compliant.
Types of lawyers
When hiring a lawyer, it is important to find a specialist. You don’t want someone who specializes in everything under one roof. There are several types of lawyers, some of them are:
- Intellectual property lawyers – These are lawyers who help you protect your intellectual property rights like patents, copyrights and trade dress.
- Real estate lawyers – These are lawyers who specialize in property law. They will help you prepare your lease agreements, property purchase agreements, due diligence when it comes to buying or selling property and other property related disputes.
- Corporate lawyers – Corporate lawyers focus on matters related to corporate law.
- Litigation lawyers – Litigation lawyers focus on matters related to litigation.
- General lawyers – These are lawyers that focus on almost everything. They are usually lawyers who don’t specialize in one particular area of law but they focus on pretty much everything under one roof. Be careful if you choose to use this type of lawyer.
What to look for in a lawyer?
Someone who specializes in an area you seek expertise.
Someone who has integrity.
Someone who is knowledgeable about his subject.
Someone who is pro-active and can get the job done. This is very important in a lawyer. Sometimes, lawyers who have a lot of work on their hands can procrastinate and delay your work. So, make sure you find someone who is proactive and can get the job done.