Not all attorneys do the same job.
Most only consider hiring an attorney after something has gone wrong – a car wreck, divorce, criminal charge, or medical error. That is when you realize that choosing the wrong kind of attorney can waste your time, money, and (sometimes) your case.
Here’s the good news:
Now that you know what practice areas to focus on, selecting your attorney is easy. There are more than 1.37 million lawyers in the United States so there is someone who can handle your case.
You just need to know who to call.
Let’s break it down…
Table of Contents
What you’ll discover:
- What Does An Attorney Actually Do?
- The Main Types Of Attorneys
- How To Pick The Right One For You
What Does An Attorney Actually Do?
A lawyer is someone who’s professionally licensed to represent you. Yep, super basic… but there’s more to it than that.
Lawyers practice all kinds of law. Some lawyers spend their careers litigating criminal trials. Others never go to court. They might spend their days writing up contracts or drafting wills. Their job speciality determines:
- What cases they take on
- How much experience they have with your specific issue
- How likely they are to win your case
Choosing a general attorney for a specialized problem is like asking your dentist to do heart surgery. Capable of doing it? Perhaps. Qualified to do the job? Heck no!
Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Medical malpractice lawyers take on cases in which a medical professional harmed a patient through negligence. Surgical mistakes, medication errors, birth injuries and misdiagnosis are examples of malpractice.
You’ve heard of medical malpractice. But did you know that failure to diagnose is one of the most common types of malpractice claims? A missed diagnosis claim occurs when your doctor fails to identify (or significantly delays) a diagnosis that another competent doctor would have made. And you suffer as a result.
Should you suspect you may have a failure to diagnose claim, you will want to look for medical malpractice attorney options that specialize in just that. These cases are complex and require someone skilled in using medical experts, records review, and proving negligence.
Why should you care? 32% of medical malpractice claims involve delayed diagnoses or misdiagnoses. Yikes.
Common failure to diagnose claim examples include:
- Missed cancer diagnoses
- Undetected heart attacks or strokes
- Delayed sepsis identification
- Ignored infection warning signs
Cases can drag on for years. You want to make sure you hire the best attorney.
Personal Injury Attorneys
Personal injury lawyers represent those who have suffered harm from another person’s negligence. Negligence can include:
- Car accidents
- Slip and falls
- Workplace injuries
- Defective products
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. Basically, this means you don’t pay anything unless they win your case.
Pretty cool, right?
This allows personal injury lawyers to help those who otherwise would not be able to afford one. The lawyer’s responsibility is to show that another party was negligent which lead to your injury and they will advocate on your behalf to seek fair compensation to cover your medical expenses, lost income and pain.
Fault is the challenge in personal injury cases. Which is why your attorney matters.
Criminal Defense Attorneys
Criminal defense lawyers defend individuals who have been accused of committing a crime. Whether it’s a misdemeanor or something much worse.
These attorneys have one job: protecting your rights. They:
- Review the evidence against you
- Negotiate with prosecutors
- Represent you at trial
- Fight for the best possible outcome
Some criminal defense lawyers are public defenders (paid by the government), while others operate privately. Whichever type you choose, picking the correct one can literally alter the course of your life.
Misdemeanors can impact your employment, your record and your future…so don’t skimp here.
Family Law Attorneys
Family law attorneys handle the messy legal stuff that happens inside families. That includes:
- Divorce
- Child custody
- Adoption
- Spousal support
These are emotional cases… which is why you need a lawyer who cares.
One thing about a good family lawyer is that they fight for you but they also guide you towards wise decisions when you are too emotionally frazzled to see them.
Family law is one of the busiest practice areas because frankly the need doesn’t end.
Estate Planning Attorneys
No one enjoys thinking about death or disposal of their property. Estate planning attorneys allow you to have it organized now rather than leaving your family to figure it out.
They help with:
- Wills
- Trusts
- Power of attorney documents
- Probate matters
- Tax planning
The best news is that spending a little time now avoiding estate planning mistakes can save your loved ones months, if not years of legal headaches in the future. Estate planning lawyers are particularly crucial if you have kids, real estate or own a business.
Having a basic will is one of the best things you can do even if you aren’t super wealthy.
Employment Attorneys
Employment lawyers handle the legal issues that arise in the workplace. Whether you’ve been unfairly fired, harassed, discriminated against, or denied overtime – they can help you.
These attorneys handle cases like:
- Wrongful termination
- Workplace discrimination
- Harassment claims
- Unpaid wages or overtime
Employment law is complex due to varying laws from state to state and frequent changes to those laws. That is why you want an attorney that stays current on your state’s laws.
Bringing It All Together
Selecting the best attorney is the first (and most crucial) choice you will make when facing a legal problem. Pick incorrectly and you may find yourself stuck with someone for months who lacks the experience to help you.
To quickly recap:
- Different attorneys specialise in different areas
- Medical malpractice covers cases like failure to diagnose claims
- Personal injury covers accidents caused by others
- Criminal defense protects you from charges
- Family law handles divorce, custody, and adoption
- Estate planning takes care of wills and trusts
- Employment attorneys handle workplace issues
Best move? Do your homework. Ask questions. Meet with a few lawyers before you commit.
You want the RIGHT one. It will change your case life…. regardless of what kind of case you have.
