9 Types of Lawyers and When to Hire Each One
In 2019, the global market size for legal services was valued at a staggering $766.3 billion. By 2025, that figure will surpass the $1 trillion mark, making the legal field one of the world’s fastest-growing industries.
It’s easy to see why the demand for legal services is so huge, particularly in countries like the United States. We live in a lawsuit-happy society, and chances are you’re going to need legal representation sooner rather than later.
The legal field is a vast one and has numerous types of lawyers. Regardless of the legal issue, you find yourself in, you can always find an attorney who specializes in that area. In today’s post, we discuss nine lawyer specialties out there.
Read on to learn more.
1. Intellectual Property Lawyers
An original creative, technical, or scientific invention that’s beneficial to the public needs to be protected from duplicates and copycats. Once you’ve created a song, an art design, a computer program, or a unique product, you need to hire a lawyer specializing in intellectual property (IP) law to help you secure copyright, patents, licensing agreements, and patents.
An IP lawyer provides legal advice on the commercial viability of your creation and the appropriate marketing mechanisms. Such lawyers have expert knowledge of both innovation and business trends. An IP lawyer can also negotiate settlements on your behalf when someone infringes on your work.
2. Family Lawyers
A family lawyer handles all kinds of domestic cases. Whether you are dealing with divorce, adoption, alimony, adoption, custody, prenuptial agreement, postnuptial agreement, or emancipation, this is the type of attorney you want to work with.
Family lawyers can also help in cases involving reproductive rights. Often, their work intersects with other areas of the law, such as criminal law. For instance, a family lawyer can collaborate with a criminal lawyer in a criminal investigation involving domestic violence or child abuse.
3. Estate Planning Attorneys
While planning for death can be one of the most unsettling things, death is an inescapable fact that we all need to prepare for. The job of an estate planning lawyer is to help you sort out your properties and assets that you intend to leave with your children once the time comes.
An estate planning lawyer can also help you build a trust fund for minor beneficiaries. Such a lawyer may also prepare any documents that will outline your final wishes, such as medical and burial arrangements.
4. Personal Injury Attorneys
If you’ve suffered an injury, whether physical, psychological, at the hands of someone else due to their negligence, then you may choose to seek compensation for your injury. In such a case, you may opt to use the services of a personal injury lawyer.
A personal injury lawyer specializes in tort law, whose focus is civil legal liabilities and damages. Situations for which you may file a personal injury lawsuit include:
- workplace injuries
- car accidents
- food poisoning at a hotel
- damaged products that led to physical or emotional harm
You may have lost income, or the quality of your life diminished as a result of the injury. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you receive the settlement or compensation you deserve.
5. Malpractice Lawyers
A malpractice attorney is needed in a lawsuit where a medical practitioner, an account, a lawyer, or a government official is accused of violating their duties. These professions ascribe to a specific set of standards and have responsibilities that can be challenged in litigation.
Attorneys in this area may belong to particular subsets, such as medical malpractice. You can also consult a malpractice attorney to make sure that things in your business are done within the law. You want to make sure no employee can be sued for malpractice.
6. Corporate Lawyers
Corporate lawyers specialize in legal matters pertaining to the building, maintaining, managing, transferring, and dissolving businesses. These attorneys are experts in business formation, employment contracts, mergers, acquisitions, tax compliance, and so on.
When you have a business or employment dispute, a business lawyer can also help settle it or facilitate negotiations between corporate or individual entities. Some corporate lawyers deal with large companies only, while others prefer startups and small businesses.
7. Labor Attorneys
Are you the victim of workplace discrimination or an unlawful lay-off? Then a labor lawyer can provide the legal assistance you need to get justice. A labor attorney can also negotiate your severance pay if needed.
Usually, labor lawyers work with trade unions. However, these attorneys are most helpful for a non-unionized employee who has no one advocating for them.
8. Bankruptcy Lawyers
Anyone can face financial challenges. If your bills and debts are overwhelming you, it may be time to talk to a bankruptcy lawyer as the first major step in starting to reorganize your financial strategy.
Usually, a bankruptcy lawyer will do their best to help you from going bankrupt. They may help renegotiate with your creditors to reduce your debt or arrange a suitable repayment plan. In the worst-case scenario, your attorney will handle the filing of the necessary bankruptcy documents for you.
9. Real Estate Attorneys
A real estate lawyer offers legal guidance to clients seeking to sell or purchase a property. A real estate attorney will work with you and your real estate agent to draft appropriate documents and make sure that all contracts are legally binding.
Real estate lawyers can also represent a property owner in case there’s a foreclosure dispute. These professionals also help negotiate disputes that involve landlords and tenants in eviction cases.
Top real estate attorneys often handle large projects involving commercial or public builders of high-rise properties. In such cases, the attorneys offer legal guidance on land use and development.
Now You Know the Different Types of Lawyers Out There
As you can see, there are many different types of lawyers in today’s legal marketplace. Regardless of the legal matter you are facing, you can be sure that there’s a professional out there to give you the best chances of coming out on top.
Are you interested in reliable legal assistance for your personal injury case? Please contact us today.