Please note that this is a guest post.

These guys are referred to as “learned” and whether they are graduates from Harvard, Columbia, Oxford, Cambridge… they are expected to live up to that expectation inside and outside the courtroom.

Also, their profession is considered in some circles as a noble profession. For a subjective opinion of other noble professions, you can check here.

Let us talk about Attorneys!

Owing to the wide range of essential services these professionals offer inside and outside the courtroom, we will be discussing some important things you should know about them. Chief among our discussion will be figuring out the right legal counsel for your legal matters.

So, you should keep reading if you are determined to hire the right lawyer or curious about these professionals and how to get the best of them when the need arises.

Who Is an Attorney?

An attorney is a professional that is trained and licensed to handle legal cases. The training must be obtained from a law school while bodies like the bar association are responsible for licensing.

Both training and licensing are very important requirements if the attorney must practice law. The subject of licensing is particularly dependent on location. As a matter of fact, countries such as the USA have a complicated setup because the bar association’s licensing is state-based.

So, an attorney that is licensed in New York cannot automatically practice in Florida when the need arises. S/he has to obtain a license in the new location. As you might have figured out, the ease or difficulty in doing this is also dependent on the new location.

The major reason bar licensing is not on the federal exclusive listing in countries like the USA is because of the autonomy granted to individual states. This allows them to make laws peculiar to them. So, this is how the legal system in the United State and some other nations are.

Having established that, you should also understand that terms like legal counsel, lawyer, and legal representative… all mean the same thing as an attorney. So, you should not be confused when any of these words are used.

However, some of these terms are more common than others in several parts of the world. For instance, the term lawyer is very common in South Africa.

What You Should Consider Before Hiring an Attorney

Hiring a legal representative is a very sensitive decision to make. This is especially if the legal odds are stacked against you. To get the best shot at winning in or outside the courtroom, here are some things you should seriously take into consideration:

Area of Expertise

Frankly, the word attorney, lawyer, legal counsel… is a very broad term. This is because of the many areas of specialization under it. It is just like what you have with medical practitioners who can be eye care specialists, neurosurgeons, chiropractic doctors, and many more.

In the same vein, there are many fields these professionals can take as their area of core competence. Examples of such fields include:

• Criminal Law
• Family Law
• Tort Law
• DUI or Traffic Law
• Estate Law

These are just a few of the many areas these professionals can practice. If you are interested in finding out more, you can visit: https://www.lawyeredu.org/law-careers.html

Now that you are well aware of the diversity of the legal profession, you should ensure that you hire a lawyer that is trained, skilled, and experienced in your legal situation.

If for instance you are dealing with a divorce, what you need is someone who understands how family law works. Therefore, you should not hire someone who is majorly into handling tort cases. This is because you may not get the best service.

This rule is especially important if you are dealing with situations that revolve around areas such as contract, transaction, and estate law. These areas require a lot of understanding of how the system works.

Location Licensing

As explained earlier, the requirement for practicing law is not only dependent on obtaining a degree from a school. Licensing is equally important. On that note, you should ensure that the legal representation you are set to hire is licensed in your location.

This is so that you are not crossing any ethical line in the process of hiring one. You can find out by inquiring from the bar association in your area.

Aside from this, we strongly recommend that your choice has experience dealing in your jurisdiction. This is very important as longstanding relationships between legal personnel can help you in your case.

For instance, if you are alleged to have committed a DUI or traffic offense, hiring a counsel that is based in a location can help out a lot. His/her relationship with the prosecutor can even ensure that the issue is settled amicably out of court.

So, paying attention to this is in your best interest.

A Legal Representative without Bad History

Understanding the law can be both a good and bad thing. Some of these professionals take advantage of the knowledgeable edge they have and use it at your expense.

This can be about charging exorbitant fees as opposed to what was initially agreed, taking undue advantage of your desperate need for victory, and many other things.

The point is ensuring the hired legal counsel is both a good lawyer and person. You cannot take chances with any one of these.

To find out about this, you can also make inquiries from the bar association. Make sure the attorney does not have reoccurring disciplinary issues and allegations from previous clients. This is about threading carefully.

Know Your Options

There are options you can explore regardless of the legal situation you are faced with. For instance, you can choose to hire a sole legal representative or deal with a big law firm.

Before you choose any option, you should understand what you are getting yourself into. For instance, while hiring a sole attorney is usually budget-friendly, things such as engaging the services of an investigator may be more than you budgeted.

Just understand all the options before making your choice. For more on this subject, you can read from this source.

Conclusion

Hiring an attorney is a very sensitive decision, and you must approach it from that stance. This will ensure that you get the best legal service available.

In a bid to help you with the hiring process, we have discussed some important things to consider before hiring a lawyer. We advise that you take what has been discussed here seriously so that you get the best legal representation.