Why Do I Need a Lawyer When I Could Do It Myself?

It’s a common enough question – why do I need a lawyer?

After all, they’re going to take a third of my money! And I need that money!

Here’s the thing – there are times when a lawyer isn’t going to help you much. Small claims court or fighting a traffic ticket don’t call for the legal big guns.

But when someone is offering you a settlement to make an accident go away, talking to an attorney is the right call whether you hire them or not. Your lawyer knows how to navigate the system and get you the money you deserve and not just what’s being offered.

Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of hiring a lawyer.

The Legal World is Complex

When you hire a lawyer, you are bringing someone on your team who knows and understands every facet of the process. A study broke down civil cases and identified nearly 200 separate tasks that have to be performed. Missing just one step can mean starting over or having a case dismissed.

Rules of evidence can also trip you up. Your lawyer will also know the best evidence to present and when to challenge any given by the other side.

Novice vs. Expert

Beyond the fine details of what to file and when, an attorney has the experience of having been there before. For you, it’s the first time facing this situation. Your lawyer has seen it many, many times.

You’re hiring an attorney for their expertise. They know when there are other avenues to pursue and have the research tools to find the evidence to make them stick. An insurance company might be happy to give you the small limit listed in a policy, but your attorney can determine if there are ways to work around that limitation.

A lawyer has negotiated similar deals and knows what’s possible in different cases. You might think you’ve done well by getting them to pay out the limit, when an attorney could have gotten you so much more.

That takes us back to the concern about having to give us a significant chunk of your settlement. Not having an attorney to argue your case can actually cause you to leave money on the table you didn’t realize was an option. You should never take a settlement in an injury case without talking to a lawyer first for this reason alone.

Get Taken Seriously

If you’re still trying to decide “should I hire a lawyer”, know that having a pro by your side is going to help you get taken seriously by all the other parties. After all, they probably have legal representation, and that person is going to take advantage of the inequity if you do not.

The insurance company is going to try to pay you as little as they can. A lawyer can keep them responsible to pay what they should.