Are you one of those people who watches shows about the law but think you will never need your own lawyer? You might want to think again. Even if you have never had to resort to finding a family lawyer, a divorce lawyer, a personal injury lawyer or a criminal lawyer personally, chances are you know someone who has at one point in time needed a lawyer. At the end of 2012, there were roughly 4,781,300 adults on probation. That is nearly five million adults who were in need of a lawyer for one reason or another. They might not have seen it coming, but they ended up needing to find a lawyer to help them sort through their situation. So, it?s important to know how to find the right lawyer beforehand, whether it?s for family law or drunk driving charges. Consider the ways in which having done the research on lawyers ahead of time would make handling difficult situations easier.
Let?s take DUIs as an example. Did you know that each year there are more than 1.4 million people arrested for a first offense DUI? In California, there?s a fine of $1,000 along with up to six months in jail and a license suspension of 6 months. What would you do if you didn?t know a good lawyer? The situation is stressful enough without having to figure out the first steps to securing a lawyer, too. You have to scramble to select one that you can trust enough to help you get the best deal possible.
The same can be said for a divorce lawyer. In this instance, you?re turning to a lawyer to help figure out your finances, to secure time with your children and to help you make it through a difficult situation with a spouse. A relationship has ended, a family divided and assets sorted out. Whether or not you and your spouse are amicable, the situation is a strained one that needs outside assistance. You want to find a divorce lawyer that you can trust and depend on throughout the entirety of the divorce. If you are completely unfamiliar with what lawyers do, how to find one and how to interact with a lawyer, this will make any situation that much more difficult. It?s added you stress you don?t need once the situation has occurred.
Think of it like insurance. Understanding the different types of lawyers, which to call in a certain situation and how some of the processes work before needing one can save you time, money and emotional energy. It?s worth the attention beforehand to make things just a little bit easier if an accident or issue does arise later on.
One last example. Consider what you will do if you are in a car accident that resulted in injuries for you, a family member or a friend. A personal injury attorney may be necessary. When someone?s injured, there isn?t a lot of time to do the proper research on lawyers. You may need to find someone as quickly as possible. If you have already done the research, you are good to go. No time lost and no time wasted scrambling after the car accident has occurred.
You never know when you might need to call up a lawyer. Accidents occur and divorces are needed all of the time. Even if you aren?t the one in need of a criminal attorney or a divorce lawyer, it?s still good practice to understand what different types of lawyers do and how to find the best one. Let us know in the comments how you?ve chosen a lawyer in the past or how you plan to do your research for the future!