There are a number of different types of speeches that we may call on to deliver. One of the most challenging is the speech that contains a great deal of data. Generally we don’t have any problems doing our homework and finding the data that we need for our speech. However, where things can get tricky is when we pull all of that data together and try to create a speech out of it. We need to be careful to not overwhelm our audience. What we need is a good way to present a lot of data. As an example, let’s take a look at how we could present the data associated with picking a lawyer.
There are 1.3 million lawyers in the United States. You might look at that number and think, “That’s great! If I ever get into legal trouble, I’ll have a ton of options and competition amongst attorneys will keep prices low!”
While we like your train of thought, in reality, that 1.3 million lawyer figure is misleading. Lawyers study what are called “legal specialties” and each of these specialties make them uniquely qualified to tackle a specific sector of the law.
What does that mean for you? It means that, depending on your situation, you may only have a small pool of lawyers that you can engage to help you.
That begs the question, “What kind of attorney do I need?”. Below is a brief guide that outlines 7 common legal situations and discloses the specific type of lawyer that they call for.
1. You Need Legal Help But Can’t Afford It
Whether you’re a business entity or an individual, a time may come that you’ll need legal assistance. If you’re in need of a lawyer but can’t afford the typical private attorney’s rate, you’ll want to look for a public interest lawyer.
A public interest lawyer works through various non-profit organizations to get legal help to low-income individuals. These public interest lawyers will work on everything from criminal to civil cases.
Public interest lawyers tend to niche down in the clients that they donate their services to. For example, one public interest lawyer might only work with minority women while another might exclusively donate their services to Chinese immigrants.
2. You’ve Been Injured in an Accident
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, at work or anywhere else, you’re going to want to learn more about and hire a personal injury attorney.
Personal injury attorneys work exclusively on injury cases. They’re masters at working with opposing insurance providers to earn you maximum settlements on your case. Furthermore, if your case ends up going to trial, your personal injury attorney can represent you in front of a jury.
Personal injury lawyers work on “contingency” meaning that they’re paid exclusively out of the money that they make you.
3. You Have Visa Issues and/or Pending Deportation Order
More people than ever are being punished for ignoring past deportation orders and overstaying their visas. If you’re among that group and want to see if you have legal recourse to stay in the United States, stop asking, “what kind of attorney do I need” and start hiring an immigration lawyer.
An immigration lawyer’s sole legal focus is on the ins and outs of US citizenship and residency.
4. You Need Assistance Drafting a Will or Living Trust
Nobody is going to live forever. When your time comes, where are all of your assets going to go?
If you want to ensure that your family is going to be taken care of after you’re gone, an estate planning lawyer is the attorney that you’ll need. Their job is to make sure that their clients have iron-clad wills and trusts in place so there’s no fighting over assets. These attorneys will also oversee the transfer of willed property to make sure that intended recipients are able to get what was given to them.
5. You’re a Landlord That Need to Understand Tenant Rights
There are millions of landlords in the United States. If you’re one of them, depending on the state that you live in, you may have a tremendous amount of obligations to your tenants.
For all legal questions circulating around tenant issues and other facets of real estate, landlords go to a real estate lawyer. Real estate lawyers are experts in tenant law, investment law, legal queries surrounding zoning and a number of other things.
Real estate attorneys also represent landlords in court when disputes come up with the city or with a tenant.
6. You’re Fighting a Criminal Case
When people are facing serious criminal charges that will likely land them in front of a jury, they hire a trial lawyer.
Trial lawyers can be one of the most expensive among all lawyer niches given the stakes of the cases that they fight. Fortunately, US citizens are entitled to a free trial lawyer or “pubic defendant” if they can prove that they do not have the assets to hire an attorney on their own.
A good trial lawyer’s objective for their client is to get them out of legal trouble or to mitigate the level of punishment that their clients will have to endure for a crime.
7. You Work in the Creative Industry and Need Help Structuring a Deal
Writers, singers, actors and other creative professionals are constantly making deals with production companies for their services. When these deals are made, compensation needs to be discussed, royalties need to be figured out and similar terms need to be negotiated.
An entertainment lawyer overseas the inception and proper inclusion of those elements in a contract.
Entertainment lawyers will work with their client’s agent to negotiate the best possible terms and then will step their clients through the review and signing of final documents.
Wrapping Up Our Brief “What Kind of Attorney Do I Need” Guide
There are a number of legal issues that a person might face. When those people are facing down a court-order or a lawsuit they’ll typically find themselves asking, “What kind of attorney do I need?”
We hope that our guide added clarity to that question and ask that you browse more of the content on our blog if you need additional guidance!