9 Common Situations an Attorney Can Help You With

Law has many fields. Beyond criminal law, most people have no idea what they are. Unless you have had dealings with lawyers in the past then it is very likely that you too will have no idea what other fields of law are. To know what to do in times of legal difficulty, however, it is important to educate yourself about these unique areas.

As complex as the law is, you can easily achieve a basic understanding of different legal areas by conducting online research. This post will simplify that research for you by telling you which situations require which lawyers.

Personal injuries

When a person is injured by a reckless individual’s carelessness, compensation is owed. The amount of compensation depends on the severity and extent of the injured party’s injuries. The legal experts that deal with this area of law are called personal injury lawyers, and they argue aggressively on their clients’ behalf.

The advantage of working with this kind of lawyer is that they offer their services on contingency plans, meaning you only owe them money after they have won your case. Usually, they take payment from their clients’ settlements.   

Criminal cases

Criminal law is the category of law that most people are familiar with, due mainly to television dramas and Hollywood movies. However, criminal law is no light matter. Serious cases can result in fines or even custodial sentences. A lot of care needs to go into selecting a criminal lawyer.

Hiring an underqualified and experienced lawyer could negatively impact a person’s case. Contingency bases are seldom offered in criminal law, but legal aid is available to those on reduced or restricted incomes.

Defamation lawsuits

Defamation has never been more prevalent in society than it is today. Now everybody uses the internet, minor disputes and arguments quickly turn into very serious defamation lawsuits. Because social media is the modern equivalent of the town square, things said even in jest about people can be seen by millions of people.

When somebody tells mistruths about others online, they are slandering them. Defamation lawyers do not usually offer contingency plans or legal aid. In order to work with them, individuals are required to pay upfront or arrange an affordable repayment plan.

Copyright claims

Copyright claims are also more common today than they once were. Content creators regularly plagiarise and steal other people’s works. When they do this, they are in breach of copyright law. Legally, when a person creates and releases something online it is their intellectual property (IP). When an individual’s IP is stolen by another, compensation immediately becomes owed to them.

This is particularly true if the content stolen was then sold or profited from. If you have a copyright claim to make, then again, legal aid and contingency plans are unlikely. You will most probably have to pay your lawyer’s fees in cash or alternatively arrange an affordable repayment plan with their financial department.

Handling divorces

Divorces are stressful and emotionally charged. While it is theoretically possible to handle a divorce without legal intervention, they are seldom simple. More often than not there are financial and property disputes involved. When there are disputes of this kind, a lawyer’s help is required. Both parties usually hire their own lawyer.

These lawyers then negotiate on behalf of their clients, ensuring a comfortable settlement is reached. Because divorces can be so emotional it is essential that people find qualified lawyers to represent them. Find an experienced lawyer who has handled many divorces before.

Custody of children

The same lawyers that deal with divorces often also deal with child custody. Many married couples have children. To that end, custody disputes typically arise when divorce proceedings begin. Child custody disputes can be much more stressful than divorce settlements can.

If you are embroiled in such a dispute then it is important to take time, research, and try to build as strong a case for yourself as you can. There is a common belief that mothers are typically awarded custody, but as long as you have strong evidence you would be the more suitable parent, achieving custody should not be difficult.

Online harassment

Online harassment has become a big problem, as explored earlier in relation to defamation. People are harassed, cajoled, and bothered on the internet by strangers on an almost daily basis, especially if they have a lot of followers on their social media accounts.

Dealing with harassment can be hard, as oftentimes those committing acts of harassment hide behind anonymous accounts and virtual private networks. If you are able to identify individuals responsible for harassing you then legal action should be taken without delay. Get in touch with an internet lawyer and ask them to file a lawsuit immediately.

House purchases

At some point in your life you are bound to want to buy a house. Getting on the property ladder is an important part of most people’s lives. Until you own your own house, you will never have complete stability. House purchases are such a big deal that they require their own special classification of lawyers, and conveyancers, to handle transfers.

The funds for property purchases are sent to a conveyancer’s bank account, then when contracts are exchanged, they are released to the seller’s bank account. House purchases through conveyancers are much safer and less stressful than private ones.

Workplace tribunals

Finally, employment lawyers are responsible for handling workplace tribunals. When an employee raises a dispute with their employer, a workplace tribunal is usually called. These tribunals can result in an employee receiving a financial settlement, or alternatively, being awarded against and losing their job. Workplace tribunals are not free; people have to pay a fee to gather them.

If you have been having problems with your employer and want to call a workplace tribunal, then reach out to an employment lawyer and ask them to tell you what kind of evidence you need to acquire.

Attorneys can come in very handy. You can never predict when you are going to need a lawyer’s support. All of the situations listed here are good examples of when a specialist attorney’s help may be required.