Many people don't associate attorneys with saving money. If you need to hire an attorney, the odds are good that you'll spend a fair amount on them. You may be tempted to find someone cheap and hope they can win your case. However, the right kind of attorney for a given case is worth so much more than any old lawyer. They can save you tons of money and give you the peace of mind of knowing that you're in professional hands, a feeling that's worth its weight in gold.
Attorneys are specialized, and the wrong kind may not help you.
Yeah, everybody wishes that they had a lawyer friend. Then, if they have any legal issues, they can just turn to their friend, who will represent them for a reasonable rate, right? Unfortunately, the law doesn't work like that.
Think about it like medicine: would you want just any old doctor looking at your teeth? Your eyes? Your gall bladder? While a pediatrician may know slightly more than the average person about your specific health issue, they won't be able to effectively treat your ailment. That's why doctors specialize so intensely in certain areas of practice.
The law works the same way. Legal codes vary significantly from state to state and even within a given state. And legal codes are huge, too, with thousands of pages of dense legal jargon that make being a jack-of-all-trades nearly impossible. That's why lawyers specialize in specific, small areas of expertise. They want to do their jobs well, and the best way to do that is for them to narrow their field of work.
A good attorney with the right specialty can win you an otherwise unwinnable case.
The right attorney can be worth their weight in gold. If you find an attorney with the exact right specialty for your situation, you'll understand why. They'll use their intense study in one area to help you win your legal battle and therefore save (or gain) you money.
You can find a specialized lawyer for almost any legal situation. Did you just buy a car in California that doesn't run quite the way you think it should? Then a California lemon law attorney can help you get the reimbursement you deserve. Specializations like these allow attorneys to get familiar with a specific area of the law, making them dynamos in the courtroom.
These situations are so specific that you may think that no one can make a living operating as an attorney in a specific field. A few things are working in the attorney's favor, though. Firstly, greater specialization means less competition. The more specialized a lawyer is, the fewer similar lawyers are out there, making their services more valuable. Secondly, specialized lawyers have an easier time making connections and building their reputation. Because their fields are so small, they stand out from the crowd of faceless business attorneys, for example. And finally, there are a lot of people in this world. There are so many people that it can be hard to fathom just how many there are! With all those people out there, there are bound to be some cases from time to time that require a very niche lawyer to handle.
Your attorney can also help you speed up or avoid court proceedings.
The most expensive part of the legal process is actually being in court. That's why the majority of cases are settled outside of court! As a result, a good attorney will try to reduce your time in court as much as possible. They can do this by successfully lobbying for less courtroom time or by preparing extensively and quickly dispatching their opponent. A good attorney will do what they can to keep things moving.
Going beyond even that, a really good attorney can avoid the courtroom completely in many cases. Neither side wants to go in front of a judge if they can help it because of how much it will cost everyone involved, and your attorney should know this. They will therefore help you avoid court if at all possible! Of course, you still want to get a good deal; the cases that do end up in court are more often than not because one or both sides feel they are getting screwed. However, if your attorney knows all the ins and outs of the relevant law, they can clearly message the other side that they will beat the other team in the courtroom with ease. You'll get a great deal without putting on your Sunday best!
Conclusion
Hiring an attorney can have a high initial cost; however, a good attorney is worth a ton. Not only can they win your case for you, but they can save you money while doing it. That's why finding the right attorney is priceless; no matter what legal situation you find yourself in, a good attorney can save you time, money and help you keep your peace of mind.