WOIFM

When Do You Need a Lawyer?

Here's an interesting Slashdot thread on how to tell when you need a lawyer. My favorite response is:

You need lawyer when you're talking to a lawyer.

Of course, that's not too far from the truth. As a lawyer, I have seen many instances where people have chosen not to hire a lawyer when they could or should have, and ended up losing many times over what that they saved in attorney's fees. There are a few instances in life where I, in my experience, think a person needs a lawyer:

1. When one has been, or is about to be, charged with a crime. Quoting from Primal Fear, "You know that money you've been saving for a rainy day? Well, it's raining!"
2. When one owns or runs a business, especially when there are other people involved. Without competent legal advice, you run the risk of losing your business and possibly much more.
3. When one receives anything called "subpoena" or "summons" - either calling for witness testimony or naming you as a defendant. If someone else has their lawyer working on a something that invloves you, you need to get someone who knows the potential traps and pitfalls of what you're about to go through - with luck, one who can steer you away from those pitfalls.

There are a couple other ones that come to mind, but those are the Big Three. Also, here's a link on "How to Pick a Lawyer" - advice which I only partially agree with, but I'll comment more in depth at some later point.