How to Know When to Contact a Family Lawyer

Out of all the different practices of law, family law is the most difficult.  When a family member seeks an attorney chances are the family is breaking apart and that is heartbreaking for all the parties involved and even more so when there are children.  How to know when to contact a family lawyer is often an issue when faced with painful emotional issues.  The truth is if you think for a second that you should call a lawyer, then it is time.  As much as you’d like to think that the situation can resolve itself or that if you ignore it it will go away, that’s not usually the case.  Let’s look at how and when a family lawyer can help you.

Saving Time

Even in the most amicable of divorces there is a large amount of paperwork that needs to be filled out and submitted to the court.  There are formalities that need to be observed.  Having an attorney take care of this can save you time, not to mention make sure that it is done right.  Let them take care of all the paperwork for you.

Save You Emotional Energy

Dealing with the break-up of the family unit is never easy and having to face your former partner isn’t easy.  It is extremely difficult to remain objective in this situation, that’s why you have an attorney.  Once you work with a family law attorney it is his job to handle all of the negotiating.  You can wait for the details and instructions from your attorney.  Here is some help dealing with the emotional aspects of divorce.

It can Save You Money

This may seem counterintuitive as an attorney can command a fairly expensive fee.  You need to understand that divorce involves financial decisions that can impact the rest of your life.  Not being adequately represented can mean either paying too much for the rest of your life or getting absolutely nothing in the settlement.  It is difficult to reduce years of marriage down to dollars and cents, but separating your financial assets are part of getting a divorce, your lawyer isn’t as emotionally invested as you and can look at the situation objectively.

The decision to hire a family lawyer is not one to be taken lightly, but if you think you need one then you probably do.  Being objective as your marriage comes apart or when you have to fight for custody or visitation of your children is an impossible task.  Let your attorney make the situation easier for you to manage, you will thank yourself for it in the long run.

Law Firm Search Engine Optimization work done by the Dallas SEO Geek

Different Types of Law Firms

The practice of law is broad and a lawyer won’t be able to provide every type of legal service that you need.  Most lawyers choose a specialty of law and only handle cases within their specialty.  You are probably already familiar with criminal and family lawyers as those specialties are the most common.  However there are far more specialties of law than that.  Let’s have a look at the different types of law firms and the kinds of cases they represent.  Law practices fall into one of two categories either civil or criminal.  Criminal law is self-explanatory, however civil law is comprised of a whole bunch of specialities.

Different Types of Law Firms

Types of Civil Law Practices

Business Law

These lawyers will deal with matters relating to starting and running your business.  Even within business law there are sub specialities like intellectual property, taxes or employment law.  Some will deal with basic business tasks like forming an LLC or incorporating your business while others make up the legal team of large corporations and conglomerates.  Business law is a large field that can be extremely complicated.

Tax Law

While tax attorneys often represent businesses to help them comply with an increasingly complicated tax code they do work with individuals as well.  If you are facing an IRS audit then you need a tax attorney to help you protect your rights or negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.  Failing to pay taxes can result in a heavy fine or even jail time so get yourself an attorney.

Family Law

Family attorneys deal with issues relating to the family and that can include divorce, child custody, prenup agreements and adoption.  They work with all legal aspects that involve the family unit.

Personal Injury Lawyers

These attorneys deal with accidents and injuries that have happened to you.  They often represent clients who have been injured in a car accident.  They will also represent clients who have suffered because of medical malpractice, or are injured due to a defective product.  These are just some of the issues that a personal injury attorney will help you deal with.  They also help when an insurance agency is refusing to pay a claim.

Criminal Law

The types of attorneys represent you when you are charge with a crime.  Unlike civil law where the state itself has no vested interest in the outcome, criminal law is the state asserting that you violated the law.  Criminal cases can involve jail time if you found guilty.

These are but a handful of the types of law firms that are out there, there are plenty more.  Before you go looking to hire an attorney to represent you, you want to find one that works in your area of expertise.