Due to some misconceptions about them, attorneys and lawyers often get a bad rap from public. In reality, lawyers are just ordinary professionals who seek to get some honest buck. Here are a few misconceptions that need to be explored further:
- Lawyers are vicious sharks: In reality, law firms need to be very competitive and aggressive to achieve success. This makes them to appear manipulative and cunning. They may seek to get the highest possible settlement for their client. In this situation, lawyers are simply trying hard to do the best for their clients. Clients could be physically harmed by workplace injuries or medical malpractices. Any extra dollar that lawyers can acquire will help to regain the quality of life of their clients.
- Lawyers are way overpaid: In reality, lawyers don’t get too much profit from legal proceeding. The average time to settle a case can reach months and in some case, years. Researching legal documentation can be time consuming and tedious. It takes a long time to review each detail, so lawyers won’t miss anything. They will need to interview clients, witnesses and experts to make sure that they get all the needed information to win the case. It takes hundreds of hours each month handle a case, so, you shouldn’t be surprised to find that a law firm charges you a few thousand dollars each month.
- Lawyers seek to draw out cases: Many lawyers are paid hourly, weekly or monthly, so the longer the case is, the more payment they get. It is not possible to resolve cases in a quick manner, because they can be quite complicated. Lawyers need to jump through many legal hoops to solve just a single task.
- Lawyers are loud and boisterous: It’s not always true; many lawyers are well composed and have good manners. Much of their work is completed through hours of intense research and study. The media, such as films and TV series, has sensationalized the idea of lawyers banging their fists and speak loudly to achieve true justice. It’s true that lawyers have passion for justice, but it doesn’t mean that they always have boisterous nature.
- Lawyers hate one another: It is true that when a lawyer is defeated in court, their reputation will somewhat suffer and this could result in a decline of revenue. Despite the occasional animosity among lawyers, they are smart enough not burn bridges. Success in the legal community depends on lasting partnerships between lawyers and law firms. At one moment, two lawyers may oppose one another in courtroom, but in other occasions, they could work together in a team to settle cases for large clients.
Despite all the misconceptions, it is not true to assume that you don’t need an attorney. The legal system is quite complicated and you won’t survive long without the help of a professional. In fact, you can lose more time and money due to legal defeats, if you are not represented by professionals.