Deciding whether or not to get a lawyer can be quite tricky. On the one hand, lawyers can cost a lot of money, so you don’t want to have to pay that expense unless necessary. On the other hand, if you don’t get a lawyer, you could unknowingly make the situation worse. If you’re able to, we recommend that you always get a lawyer (if you can afford it, that is). Sadly, this isn’t always an option for everyone. That being said, there are certain scenarios where getting a lawyer is unavoidable. We’ll be walking you through some of these.
Personal injury cases
“Personal injury cases” is an umbrella term for a wide variety of different situations. As the name suggests, these cases deal with scenarios where you have been hurt due to the neglect or irresponsible actions of someone else. Things such as car accidents or workplace accidents are often listed as personal injury cases. The hard thing with these types of cases is that it’s often your word against someone else’s, and proving what happened can be very difficult. That’s why it’s vital to get a lawyer – they will improve your chances of receiving financial compensation. There are lawyers specializing in these types of cases, such as this firm in Chicago.
Wrongful termination
If you feel that you’ve unfairly lost your job, or that it was due to unjust reasons, you may have a case for wrongful termination. It may be tempting to try and hold your own in court – after all, they did you wrong, so the case should be easy to win, right? But it’s important to remember that if you’re going up against a business, they likely have a whole team of legal representatives offering them advice and arguing their case for them. You’ll stand a much better chance of winning the case if you have the same resources.
Child maintenance
Many people whose marriages end amicably decide to skip the added fees of getting a lawyer to help with child maintenance, and to just try and figure it out between them. On paper, this seems ideal. In reality, though, it can often lead to conflict, especially further down the line when unexpected things may occur, such as remarriages. You also need to remember that without a lawyer, you can’t be certain that everyone is getting a fair deal. Lawyers can also help set out the terms of child maintenance – without some form of a legal document, it’s easy for someone to skimp on their responsibilities. Child maintenance and support look different depending on each family, but there are a few things moms and dads need to know about it.
Divorce
Similar to child maintenance, many divorcing couples may decide that it’s best to go ahead with the divorce without having to incur legal fees. This is especially common when the divorce ends on good terms. However, it’s important to remember that no one knows what the future holds – these good terms may not last forever, and by the time you realize you wanted more out of your divorce settlement, it may be too late.
You’ve been accused of a crime
It’s important to note that being accused of a crime is not the same as being arrested. Anyone can accuse you of a crime. They can simply go on the internet and claim that you committed a crime. Even if you know that these allegations aren’t real, or you feel as though these claims aren’t serious, it’s important to still get legal advice. No matter whether these accusations are true or not, they can be very damaging to your career and reputation.
Wills
Setting up a will can be done without a lawyer, so if you really can’t afford the extra expense, click here for advice on how to achieve that. However, setting up your will is a pretty big deal. You need to decide what happens to your belongings – and, in some cases, your children – once you’re no longer here. We’re sure you can see why it’s advisable to rather pay the money and have it done properly. If someone dies, you may also want to enlist a lawyer’s help when it comes to reading and explaining their will. Many families opt to do this by themselves, but this can lead to conflict. Having an impartial third party may help things go a bit smoother.
You’ve been arrested
We all know that once you’re arrested, you usually get to make one phone call. And as tempting as it may be to contact your parents or significant other, the wisest thing to do is to call a legal representative. Even if you’re innocent, anything you say could be viewed as incriminating, so it’s best to keep quiet until a lawyer shows up and helps you decide which steps you need to take next.
Matters regarding privacy
We all know how important our privacy is. A breach in privacy can be detrimental – whether this refers to confidential documents, personal information you don’t want others to know, or data security. If anyone has invaded your privacy against your consent, you may be able to get justice, and even financial compensation (as well as having the leaked information removed, if all goes well.) However, this process is very complex, so getting a lawyer to help you with the technical aspect of things may make it a bit easier.
Contracts
Most people deal with contracts quite often. This is especially true if you own a business. As a business owner, it’s vitally important that your business is doing everything by the book. Even the slightest flaw in your contract could lead to employees taking you to court and trying to claim money from you. It’s important to have contracts laid out in a way that protects you and the other party. The best way to do this is to have a lawyer look over any contracts you’ve set up, at the very least. Ideally, they would set up the contract for you.
