When you find yourself in a situation where you need legal assistance, it may be difficult to know where to turn. Nowadays, most lawyers specialize in a certain area of the law instead of accepting all different kinds of cases indiscriminately. Read on to find an overview of four different types of lawyers along with a description of the types of services you could expect them to provide.
#1. Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injury attorneys represent people who have suffered an injury that could have been prevented. Sometimes it is an injury that occurred in the work setting, an injury that is considered unjust or an injury that is debilitating. The personal injury lawsuit attempts to collect compensation for damages that were inflicted on the client. In the United States, each year approximately 31 million injuries occur that require hospitalization. More than three million of these injuries occur as a result of car accidents, so a significant portion of personal injury claims arise calling for an accident injury attorney.
#2. Corporate Lawyer
Corporate lawyers focus on practicing business law. Corporate lawyers deal with a very broad spectrum of legal tasks including things like forming a new business. Some large companies have transactional lawyers who help negotiate business deals. Other large businesses have a litigation lawyer on hand to deal with any lawsuits that arise. Corporate lawyers also draft legal documents such as contracts for their business clients.
#3. Family Lawyer
Family lawyers practice law that has to do with family issues. Often this includes divorce and any ensuing battles over the custody of children. Other issues of marriage and children are also covered by the family lawyer such as prenuptial agreements, the division of shared marital property and child support or alimony. Because these lawyers deal with very intimate aspects of their clients’ lives, family lawyers need the patience and interpersonal skills to deal with clients who are going through personal turmoil.
#4. Immigrant Attorney
An immigrant attorney helps clients through the paperwork and legal processes of becoming a citizen of a new country. Often immigration attorneys are hired by businesses to help foreign employees receive the necessary employment visas to be able to work in another country. Immigration lawyers also help with situations where a family member is a citizen of a country and is attempting to move other family members to the new country of residence. The immigrant attorney needs to stay informed on all immigration laws and stay up to date on any changes or current events. Immigration lawyers must help their clients comply with the governmental regulations of both the country of origin and the new country. Obtaining employment paperwork can be a complicated process and varies significantly based on different scenarios.
While there are many more types of lawyers than the four listed here, this list gives an overview of the types of services offered by four types of attorneys. Oftentimes, within each broad category of law, lawyers specialize even further on a specific situation. For example, a subset of personal injury lawyers exists for situations such as motorcycle injuries or head injuries. Most likely, whatever your situation, there is a lawyer who will be able to help you navigate the legal system.
