There is a certain stigma about hiring a lawyer and what it is that is expected of them. Whether you are filing a bankruptcy claim or a personal injury claim, attorneys are there to represent you and give you legal advice depending on your situation. However, there are still several misconceptions about what a lawyer will do once hired. Let’s take a look at a few of those and see if we can debunk them.
Lawyers are also busy and in a hurry so they probably won’t be able to explain things very well to me.
A good lawyer will care about you as a person. They will take time to sit down with you and make sure that you understand your situation and any possible outcomes as clearly as possible. Many times, lawyers will arrange extra sessions where the two of you can really analyze and go over anything that you do not understand.
Lawyers don’t care about me personally, they only want to earn fees and get paid.
In order to win a case, the lawyer has to care about you. It can’t be all about the case and the fee and the payments. Any kind of legal representation that you receive is going to be a personal service and unless a lawyer has become completely jaded and cynical, there’s no way he or she can delve into the details of your case without coming to care for you personally.
Lawyers will only pay attention to my case if there’s a potential to make a lot of money.
A lawyer does not only focus on the money side of things. There are other factors that play in to why they will take a case, including ethics, beliefs and more. While everyone needs to make an income, this is only part of why a lawyer will take on a case. If it is something he or she really believes in then the amount of money that they will make becomes unimportant compared to the good that they can do by taking on your case.
A really good lawyer is a bulldog who’ll fight to the death.
Not necessarily. Typically, bulldogs attack without thinking things through and without building a strategy. You don’t want a lawyer like this. The best kind of lawyer will only attack if it is necessary and apart of a bigger plan. Usually they will use a lot of wisdom and a well thought out plan in order to get the best results that they can obtain for you. You don’t want a fighter for a lawyer, you want an honest and smart attorney who knows how to plan.
Lawyers think they are better than everyone else.
A good lawyer is no different than a good person. He or she knows they are not at a higher level. They might be comfortable with who they are and confident, but don’t mistake this for pride. The best kind of attorneys understand that everyone should be treated with respect and no one should be looked down on.
Lawyers hate pro bono work and aren’t going to be very into my case since I’m not paying.
While it is a requirement for lawyers to take on a certain amount of pro bono work over a certain amount of time, this does not mean that they hate it. Many times, these cases give them valuable experience and an opportunity to focus on the law without the pressure of a time crunch because of clients paying by the hour. Often, more work and research will be done for pro bono cases than others because the lawyer doesn’t have to think about saving the client any money.
So, if you need to hire an attorney, keep these misconceptions in mind. Just as much as you want an attorney to take the time to care about you and put their best work into your case, they want you to trust them and feel comfortable with them. It’s a two way street when it comes to mutual respect. If you believe the myths regarding your attorney, chances are they may be some misconceptions they will get about you because you are not putting your best foot forward and showing your best side either.
