Permit me to start by saying that do-it-yourself lawyering has its limits. Surely, you can draft contracts all on your own, you can survive gruesome negotiations with your company clients, you can settle a marital dispute among yourselves but when the requirement to come calmly to court arises, you need to get a lawyer. Expenses is going to 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, as they say, is obviously 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 someone else by the application of legal principles and knowledge by a person competed in the law. By this definition however, a paralegal or even a secretary who has understanding of the laws, who has been “trained” by the sheer fact of getting been employed for a time period in a law firm, is considered engaged in the practice of law. When finding a lawyer therefore, locate a “qualified” lawyer. Meaning, be sure that your lawyer has successfully completed his law course, has successfully passed the bar examinations and is licensed to rehearse in ab muscles jurisdiction in which a particular legal relief is asked for. When facing a legal dispute, the past thing you will need is a fake lawyer. It is perfectly ethical to require a lawyer license when you even begin to 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 may be a professional in virtually any one of the following kinds of law: international law, labor law, civil law, taxation law, litigation, or criminal law. These are the major categories. Thus, you could hear of a litigation lawyer or an immigration lawyer. Note however, that lawyers’ specializations are “acquired” through experience, not simply because they think they’re great at it.
Personal Qualities
This really is one aspect of lawyering in which a young, inexperienced lawyer can get in front of a skilled one. Young lawyers are generally 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 wish to be treated. Clients often feel that they’re getting their money’s worth with the kind of attention they’re getting.
The personal qualities to find in a lawyer depend greatly on the kind of client you are. If you are the no-nonsense type, you could prefer to hire an older, retirable lawyer. These kinds of lawyer are less thinking about that which you need to say. Sometimes, they’re not thinking about what they have to say. Lawyering has turned into a routine for them, much 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 obtain them.
So at this point you have a qualified, expert and credible lawyer having the personal qualities you look for. Another thing to take into account is whether plaintiff that lawyer can be obtained to attend to your problem. More often than not, your lawyer will say that he is willing, able and happy to assist you. Behold, he said the same to several others this morning, and the other day, and the week before that. The point is, a lawyer can only do this much. He can’t be attending hearings all at the exact same time. He could possibly resort to cancelling or rescheduling hearings and important meetings to create ends meet. If your chosen lawyer has a law firm, there will certainly be other lawyers who is able to attend for your requirements in case he’s not available. You may find this acceptable but not until your case has been reassigned from one hand to another.
Having a “professional” lawyer is really much distinctive 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 supply 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 needs, makes his research, beats the deadlines, and returns your phone calls. So don’t be fooled by the lawyer-look alone. It will be great if your lawyer can pull it off with the lawyer look and the genuine professionalism though.