Lawyer Up! 5 Situations Where You Need to Call a Lawyer
If you’re anything like most people, you’ve never hired a lawyer. Neither do you look forward to hiring one!
When you think of a lawyer, one of the first things that come to mind is a crime. There’s no doubt that you need to call a lawyer if you’re facing criminal charges or pressing criminal charges. However, this isn’t the only time when it’s necessary to have a lawyer on your side.
In fact, there are several instances when it’s prudent to lawyer up. What’s more, most of the instances don’t even have anything to do with the judicial system.
Read on as we highlight some of the most common instances when you should find a lawyer.
1. You’re Being Sued
Let’s get this one out of the way.
If someone is suing you, call a lawyer immediately. It’s understandable if you want to pause and evaluate the reason you’re being sued, but you shouldn’t.
It doesn’t matter whether your neighbor is suing you for something as trivial as your dog trespassing on their land for the first time. Sure, this is something you can square out over the fence and find an amicable solution, but the neighbor hasn’t chosen this path, and neither should you.
Being sued can have significant consequences regardless of how inconsequential the lawsuit looks. For example, if you don’t respond to the suit, which is likely to happen if you don’t hire a lawyer, the plaintiff could obtain a default judgment against you.
So, if you’re being sued, don’t think twice.
2. You’re Starting a Business
It’s not always that you’ll need a lawyer when you’re starting a business. For instance, if you’re starting a small coffee shop in your neighborhood, you generally don’t need legal advice.
However, there are times when starting a business calls for the input of a business attorney. For instance, if you’re looking to set up a limited liability company or a corporation, there’s lots of legal paperwork that needs to be filed with the relevant government agencies. You need an attorney to help you choose the right legal structure for the business, as well as prepare the necessary paperwork.
Once the business is ready, you might need a lawyer to help with various contracts, such as employment contracts and supplier contracts.
The same goes if you’re planning to enter into a partnership agreement. As a legal novice, you probably don’t know how to read between the lines and understand the legal jargon. An attorney will interpret the agreement in terms you can understand and advise you on whether the agreement is good for your needs.
3. Landlord-Tenant Issues
Ordinarily, a tenant-landlord relationship won’t amount to anything. If the landlord fulfills their responsibility as does the tenant, everyone will go on with their life without ever thinking of hiring a landlord-tenant lawyer.
However, the world isn’t perfect. Landlord-tenant issues arise every day. Some of these issues need either party to lawyer up.
If you’re a tenant and the landlord wants to evict you, for example, you might want to hire a tenant lawyer if you believe your rights are being violated.
And if you’re a landlord, you need to know that evicting a tenant isn’t a simple process. There’s a process you must follow, all while ensuring you aren’t violating the tenant’s rights. If the tenant opts to fight back, you will need a landlord attorney on your side.
4. You’ve Been Involved in a Car Accident
Car accidents are super common in the United States, with 6 million occurring every year.
As a driver, you’re likely to be involved in a car accident at least once in your lifetime. While some accidents are minor fender benders that don’t even need the police to be involved, others can be severe, causing death, injuries, property loss, and a trail of legal cases. These types of car accidents are especially the most common in the U.S.
Whether you’re the victim or the one at fault, it’s important to hire a car accident attorney.
As a victim, the attorney will help you file a compensation claim or even sue the at-fault party. As the at-fault party, you need to protect yourself from excessive claims and even lawsuits.
Car accidents aren’t the only types of accidents that need you to hire a lawyer. Other types of accidents, such as boating and motorcycle crashes, that cause injury and/or loss of property also need you to lawyer up.
5. You’re Getting Divorced
Everything that has a beginning, ends. Or so they say.
Marriage is one of those things that’ll end, considering that about half of all marriages in the U.S. will end in divorce.
Whether you’re looking at this from a glass-half-full or half-empty angle, one thing is clear: when you’re going through a divorce, be sure to hire a family attorney.
It doesn’t matter whether your divorce is as amicable as amicable can get. You certainly don’t want to be the one filing documents such as custody agreements in the family court. You need a lawyer doing this work for you as you chart the way forward.
Savvy People Know When to Call a Lawyer
What’s standing between you and a lawyer? Most people think they can do whatever needs to be done on their own or simply don’t want to spend money on a legal service. However, there are times when you need to call a lawyer; otherwise, you’ll be in a big-time mess.
Explore our lifestyle blog for more useful tips and advice.
Samantha Gaines wrote this article on behalf of FreeUp. FreeUp is the fastest-growing freelance marketplace in the US. FreeUp only accepts the top 1% of freelance applicants. Click here to get access to the top freelancers in the world.
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