The law can be a funny thing. On one hand, it’s a firm and set code of ethics that we are bound to follow, or else we face persecution. On the other hand, it can be complex and difficult to understand, riddled with complicated language and loopholes. For most of us, it’s easy enough to go day by day without serious breaches of the law — but there can be unforeseen moments that require the help of a legal professional.
Although you might associate attorneys solely with criminal defense (a la shows like Law and Order and Criminal Minds), the fact is that there are lawyers for every kind of legal situation you can imagine. Much like doctors, lawyers pick a specialty during law school and decide what kind of law they want to practice. This is good news for everyday people who find that they need legal help, whether that’s a criminal defense attorney or something else.
There are plenty of circumstances that call for legal help, some that you might not have even realized that a lawyer could help you with. If you’re unsure about what kinds of situations typically call for legal help, read on to learn when you should hire a professional.
Buying and Selling a Commercial Property
Entrepreneurs and business owners alike can benefit from a real estate attorney when it comes to commercial properties changing hands. Although some states don’t require a lawyer to help close a real estate deal, it’s a good idea regardless to have legal help navigating through the process.
Whether you’re selling a dental practice or are purchasing office space for your new endeavor, how comfortable would you be reading through all the legalese and complicated terminology in the contract? You could be the most meticulous person on the planet, but the bottom line is that legal help specializing in real estate is far more likely to understand and catch any errors or issues in your contracts. Some of the most convenient ways a real estate lawyer can help you with buying and selling commercial properties include:
- You are not the middle man anymore. Any communication with the seller’s attorney, all involved real estate brokers, and your mortgage loan officer is done by your real estate lawyer. This saves you the headache of responding to a thousand voicemails, phone calls, and emails, as well as keeping all of your contacts organized.
- Instead of looking over all of those nasty documents and contracts, you can shuffle them over to your attorney to look over. Not only will they understand exactly the terms and conditions that are hidden in the word salad of legal terms, but they will catch anything that looks funky and work to get it rectified and rewritten so that it works for you.
- Ultimately, you are granted peace of mind. It does cost money to hire legal help, but imagine how much more it would cost if there was an error that you failed to see. Hiring a real estate attorney for business deals takes away the stress and worry that you’d otherwise have if you were flying entirely solo.
Real estate deals are complex enough, but commercial deals can be an entirely different animal. Take charge of your commercial real estate endeavor by not taking charge. Hire an attorney to get you through the worst of the worst. Sure, it’s another fee, but saving yourself from a potentially sour deal or difficult process makes that money well spent.
Car Accidents and Injuries
We’ve all seen those smarmy commercials that insist that you may be entitled to financial compensation if you partook in X, Y, and Z. Although these tend to be money-hungry ambulance chasers who prey on the vulnerable, the bottom line is that you do have rights if you suffer an accident or injury — it’s just a better idea to find an attorney on your own than on a late-night infomercial.
Car accidents make for complicated legal battles in more ways than one. Who was at fault? Were there witnesses? How fast was/were the driver(s) going? How bad were the injuries? With all of these questions and tough answers, it’s a very wise choice to find a practice of well-respected car accident lawyers.
What can these people do that you can’t do on your own? Well, if you really want to get technical, nothing. But as good old Honest Abe said: “A man who represents himself has a fool for a client.” Don’t be that fool. Rather than spend your precious time and energy dealing with the outcomes of a car accident injury yourself, find someone who can help that actually went to school and holds a master’s for this kind of thing. A personal injury attorney does all the heavy lifting for you during your time of need:
- They deal with you and the other party’s insurance companies: Look at the policies, dig into what you are and are not financially responsible for, and contest anything that looks suspicious.
- If you’re being falsely accused of holding the bag for responsibility, your attorney will help you fight. They will examine the accident as a whole, finding answers to the above questions, and help to come up with a defense as to why you are not liable.
- Paperwork. Oh, the paperwork. Lawsuits are not very environmentally friendly in terms of how much paper gets pushed around, but lucky for you, you’ve hired an attorney to deal with it all. They will ensure that the other party has crossed their t’s and dotted their i’s and lowercase j’s — and do the same for all of your paperwork too.
Car accidents are all too common, making up about 20% of civil lawsuits in the US, and lawsuits for injuries and personal suffering can be dragged on for years on end. But if you hire a professional who knows the industry and can help you fight for your rights, then you can make it through a little more easily. While you’re not guaranteed a win in any situation, it’s a good feeling knowing that you have an advocate in your corner who knows what they are talking about.
On-the-Job Injuries
Like car accidents, workplace injuries are a common occurrence. This doesn’t only mean at super dangerous job sites like construction or electrical work, but any sort of employment. Slipping and breaking your leg on a wet floor, for example, could happen anywhere. Improperly provided PPE (personal protection equipment) like gloves or goggles could result in an injury no matter where you work. The point is, if you get hurt on the job, you might need to look into legal help to get the result you deserve.
Now, we’re not saying that you need to sue your company for anything and everything. Slamming your own finger in a desk drawer probably doesn’t warrant a lawsuit, and neither does skinning your knee on the sidewalk outside. But moderate to serious injuries that can and should have been avoided? Those are the kinds of situations we’re suggesting that you find a workplace injury lawyer.
Workers compensation lawyers are just the right people to go to if you have suffered an on-the-job injury. It’s their job to evaluate the seriousness of the injury and how the company and its policies handled it. Some examples of how a worker’s compensation lawyer can help you are:
- Overturning a claim denial. Your company says they can’t pay you for the time you’re out of work or refuses to pay medical bills? An attorney can fight those denials. It’s their job to find the holes and unconstitutional loopholes that have been written in the company’s injury policies.
- You look better in court. Let’s reiterate what President Lincoln said and remind you that you never want to represent yourself in a court of law. By hiring a lawyer to appear with you in court and list of the legal reasons why you are entitled to worker’s comp, you are strengthening your chances of making a solid defense.
- Pointing out the glaring issues within the company. Some businesses are more safety-conscious than others. You would expect that there would be a clear chain of command regarding health and safety policies, but the sad truth is that some companies just don’t care. Your attorney can look at and highlight to the judge all the ways that you and other employees are not safe at work with the current policies in place.
Getting hurt at work is not a good time for anybody involved. If your company is refusing to help you out for a work injury that was clearly not your fault, it’s time to bring in the big kids. A personal injury attorney can help you fight outdated or unsafe workplace policies so that not just you are taken care of, but so that these issues can be avoided in the future for other people.
Ending a Marriage
We aren’t judging: Marriage is hard work, and it’s not a fight that everyone can win. If you and your partner have decided to call it quits, then a divorce attorney is exactly what you need. Divorce law doesn’t only exist for those nasty, messy breakups that you read about in the tabloids. Even the most cordial and civil divorces should have legal help available to them.
A law firm specializing in divorce can help you and your ex-partner to reach an agreement that you’re both happy with. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the end of your marriage, divorce attorneys can guide you through legal issues like:
- Dividing assets. This can be physical objects within the home like furniture and collectibles, but it can also mean bank accounts as well as the home itself.
- Hastening the process. Look, nobody wants a divorce to drag on forever and ever, and legal help can get you through it much faster. Like we have already mentioned, good attorneys will weed through the paperwork and maintain all contacts, so less pressure is put on you to get the ball rolling.
- Mediation. Even “friendly” divorces are hard, and there’s a reason that you and your ex-partner are separating. If you simply can’t find common ground and are having a difficult time being in the same room as another, your divorce attorney can be the mediator to help you settle your disagreements.
Getting a divorce is a painful process, but it’s only as messy as you let it be. We know that every circumstance is different and that no two marriages are the same — but that’s why it’s so important to find legal help. Representation during a divorce can ensure that you settle things fairly and on better terms than duking it out by screaming at each other. Seek out a lawyer immediately if you’re going to get a divorce to lessen the pain somewhat.
Registering Your Good Boy or Girl
Let’s end on a positive note: Service dog registration! If you’re lucky enough to need a furry companion wherever you go, then there are legal processes that must be followed to give your pal the official title of service dog.
While emotional support dogs are excellent for people with mental disorders or people on the autism spectrum, they are not technically service dogs. (Ssssh, we won’t tell them if you won’t!) A service dog is defined as a dog that has undergone special training to perform work for a person with a disability. This can mean acting as a guide dog for a visually impaired person, retrieving medications when their human is unable to, or even learning to turn on lights to reduce their human’s stress. (We know, we’re squealing with joy too!)
To be recognized as a legal support dog, though, you must first register Rover with your state. Now, there is a hot debate about whether or not registered as a service dog is a legally binding term, but the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) does require that your dog is registered and licensed in your state. A lawyer can help you wade through the murky waters regarding any questions you might have as far as legally registering your dog as a service animal.
There are no restrictions on what breeds can be counted as a service dog. You usually see Labradors and golden retrievers as service dogs, but that’s not because they’re the only breeds that can do the job. They’re just very easy to train thanks to their willingness to please their humans. Any breed, whether that’s your pomeranian or Bernese mountain dog, can qualify for a service dog registration as long as you go through the proper avenues to do so. That’s where your lawyer can help you learn the ins and outs, as well as what requirements you need to fulfill to properly register your pupper.
Clearly there is no shortage of reasons to seek out legal help. Whether you’re filing for divorce or are looking for a worker’s compensation attorney, there are so many options for you if the time comes. It can be scary, even morally wrong for some people, but there is no shame in getting the help you need and deserve. Look for legal help in your area if you are in a situation that requires a professional.