All the Types of Lawyers You Should Know About

According to former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, “being a lawyer is not merely a vocation. It is a public trust…” This trust is not for the exclusive benefit of all the types of lawyers one can think of, but for the entire society as well. There are as many types of lawyers as there are different jurisdictions requiring adjudication. Below are all the types of lawyers you should know about.

Family Lawyers

A family lawyer practices family law, a legal practice that focuses on matters to do with family relationships. These include child custody, divorce, adoption, marriage, and a myriad other family-related issues. Among the common terms you are likely to come across include:

• Emancipation: This is a court process that allows a minor to become self-supporting. The process seeks to help the minor assume the responsibilities of an adult in terms of their welfare. After this process, they are free to live on their own and are no longer the responsibility of their parents.
• Marital property: This term is common in divorce cases where parties seek adjudication on property acquired during a marriage. The divorce lawyer helps such parties to reach an amicable solution on the division of marital property upon divorce.
• Alimony: This is the allowance a spouse makes to the other during, or after, divorce or legal separation.
• Paternity: In a paternity case, the goal is to establish one’s descent or origin from a father. The focus is on establishing who the biological father of a child is.
• Prenuptial agreement: This agreement is entered between two people before entering into a marriage. The goal of such prenups is to surrender future rights to either party’s property in case of death or divorce.

Drunk Driving Lawyers

All the types of lawyers in the legal profession will tell you that drunk driving is a serious crime that carries severe penalties. It leads to impaired driving, a condition involving driving a vehicle after consuming high levels of alcohol, that is, .08 percent. One’s driving is impaired if they drive while intoxicated, also known as DUI (driving under the influence). In such a situation, one is incapable of driving responsibly.

Since drunk driving puts you and other road users at risk, the courts treat this crime with the severity it deserves. Should you be accused of impaired driving, you will need a good DUI lawyer to competently argue your case in court. Among the consequences of being charged with impaired driving are:

• Job loss: Should you be indicted for impaired driving, your job will be on the line. DUI is a sign that one is reckless, a character flaw most employers frown on.
• Penalties: If convicted of DUI, you are likely to be put on probation, fined, or even imprisoned.
• Illegibility for certain professions: if convicted of impaired judgment, you will be locked out of certain opportunities, jobs, and professions.
• Stigmatization: If indicted for DUI, a criminal record will be created in your name, and this is likely to stigmatize and jeopardize your chances of progress in life.

Of all the types of lawyers you can hire, a DUI lawyer is perhaps your greatest asset when confronted with a drunk driving case. They will help you navigate the case and, hopefully, get you off the hook.

Estate Planning Lawyers

Everyone has an estate, which, by definition, is all that you own. This includes money, property, stocks, jewelry, and other items you accumulate in a lifetime. Upon one’s demise, a trust and estate planning lawyer takes over the work of dividing your property among those stated in a will.

In general, a trust and estate planning lawyer helps you create legally binding documents such as wills and trusts. Other responsibilities of estate planning lawyers include:

• Establishing the power of attorney and designating beneficiaries
• Meeting with all those involved in an estate, who may include close friends and relatives
• Overseeing the transfer of assets to those named as beneficiaries and heirs
• Helping beneficiaries come up with solutions that lower taxes charged on an estate
• Wherever necessary, demarcating estate restrictions and making sure the wishes of the deceased are fully carried out
• Handling charitable donations, retirement plans, and life insurance policies

Timeshare Lawyers

Of all the types of lawyers in the legal marketplace, timeshare lawyers are unique in that they protect a client’s rights on a range of timeshare issues. Reputable timeshare lawyers are also known as consumer protection advocates. Their work is to safeguard their client’s rights in various timeshare matters. Reputable timeshare lawyers work with their clients to help them understand the implications and terms of their timeshare contracts. They also help their clients exit timeshare contracts when such become prohibitive “assets” that do not have actual resale value. Exiting a timeshare contract helps clients focus on priority issues in their lives.

Car Accident Lawyers

When an accident occurs, the paramedics are first to arrive on the scene. Theirs is to ensure parties involved in an accident receive treatment on-site before being taken to hospitals. The other critical service is that of a towing service, also known as a car towing service.

Besides the trauma one is likely to experience after a car accident, injuries resulting from a crash could leave one in serious financial jeopardy. In such cases, you need the services of a reputable car accident lawyer. This is because insurance companies will do all they can to avoid paying compensation. Such a lawyer will make representations before a judge to ensure your medical bills are settled and all your insurance coverage requirements are implemented. They will also make sure you are paid what the insurance company owes you.

Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Professional misconduct in the medical profession is a crime punishable by law. It takes various forms, but in almost all cases, it involves negligence by a medical professional that leads to injuries to a patient. For instance, cases of botched plastic surgery abound in this profession.

Medical malpractice lawyers represent clients suing medical practitioners for professional misconduct. Negligence or failure by a surgeon to exercise reasonable care, resulting in injury to a patient, usually leads to medical malpractice lawsuits.

Like all the types of lawyers in the law profession, a medical malpractice lawyer’s role is to defend a client’s rights. The client could be a patient, a surviving relative, or a surviving family member. The goal is to sue medical practitioners for professional negligence or malpractice. Medical malpractice can take the form of misdiagnoses, surgical errors, treating a patient without their consent, undue delays in treatment, and anesthesia errors, among others.

Business Lawyers

Business lawyers’ main goal is to provide legal advice to business owners on matters such as intellectual property rights, business transactions, and taxation. A business lawyer is also referred to as a commercial lawyer, a corporate lawyer, or a corporate attorney. Among the responsibilities of a business lawyer are:

• Helping businesses navigate, resolve or prevent complex legal issues.
• Helping businesses establish their policies, structure, procedures, and objectives.
• Making sure businesses understand the relevant outcomes and laws.
• Research and resolve all legal disputes by analyzing the pertinent laws, overseeing evidence collection, developing arguments, and providing legal representation.
• Preparing the legal paperwork for a business.
• Helping businesses negotiate settlements, transactions, and contract terms with the relevant authorities.
• Helping businesses comply with the relevant international, federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Helping businesses deal with patent firm issues and private money loans besides other types of business funding.

Bankruptcy Lawyers

Bankruptcy lawyers handle all insolvency issues relating to individuals and companies. Their specialization is either commercial or consumer bankruptcy. Lawyers practicing consumer bankruptcy represent creditors and individuals. Commercial bankruptcy lawyers represent debtors and creditors. Both types of bankruptcy lawyers have the same specialization: navigating solutions for plan confirmations, valuation disputes, and financial restructurings.

Constitutional Lawyers

Constitutional lawyers handle matters concerning the U.S. Constitution’s interpretation and implementation. Their work is to balance the interests of individuals with those of institutions of government. Among the responsibilities of a constitutional lawyer are:

• representing clients in discrimination suits
• challenging the constitutionality of legislative matters
• teaching at a university as a constitutional law expert
• litigating civil rights cases and arguing issues brought before the U.S Supreme Court and in the state supreme courts. This is a unique opportunity for a constitutional lawyer.

Criminal Defense Lawyers

The goal of a criminal defense lawyer is to safeguard the rights of people accused of a crime. Theirs is to ensure their client’s basic rights and liberties are not infringed on by the justice system. One can practice as a private attorney or a public defender. Irrespective of the type of practice, a criminal defense lawyer’s duty is to use the law to defend an accused person. Just like all types of lawyers practicing law, they are expected to protect their client’s interests within the precincts of the law. Of all the types of lawyers, criminal defense lawyers are likely to appear before a judge more frequently.

Employment and Labor Lawyers

These types of lawyers deal with cases between employers, unions, and employees. They litigate matters to do with workplace harassment, discrimination at the workplace, benefits, wage and hours regulations, and pension security. Although at times, the roles of labor and employment lawyers overlap, the former’s main focus is on collective bargaining and relations with union management. Employment lawyers, on the other hand, deal with non-union workplace matters.

Entertainment Lawyers

These lawyers serve artists, actors, athletes, musicians, media-related clients, and major brands and influencers. Entertainment lawyers aim to protect the intellectual property rights of their clients. These rights encompass many areas, as diverse as a comedian’s comedy routine to a musician’s lyrics. Entertainment lawyers also negotiate fee arrangements and contracts on behalf of their clients. They also oversee unions and guild memberships and act as a liaison between venues or agents.

Immigration Lawyer

The process of acquiring legacy status or citizenship in a country can be daunting. Luckily, immigration lawyers exist to make this process less challenging. They help applicants navigate the rigors of working, studying, or living in the United States. They at times assist refugees and others seeking asylum in the country. Employees and employers in a work-visa program also employ the services of immigration lawyers.

Intellectual Property (IP) Lawyers

IP lawyers enforce and protect creations and the rights of artists, inventors, businesses, and authors. They litigate matters to do with patenting, trademarking, and copyrighting. They also protect trade secrets for authentic tangible products such as inventions, and intangible products such as symbols, brand names, and slogans. Among the responsibilities of an IP lawyer is to help their clients protect their intellectual property rights. They also help them protect their intellectual property through patent, trademark, and copyright registration. Lastly, the role of an Intellectual Property lawyer is to protect IP rights against infringement.

Personal Injury Lawyers

If you are involved in a mishap that results in an injury, from a pool of all the types of lawyers in the marketplace, a personal injury lawyer is the person to get in touch with. These lawyers represent people who have sustained an injury in medical malpractice, car accidents, or workplace accidents. Primarily, personal injury lawyers conduct their work within the jurisdiction of civil litigation. In arguing their client’s case, a personal injury lawyer’s burden of proof lies in proving that the other party is to blame, thereby indemnifying their client. Most of the cases that a personal injury lawyer deals with end up in out-of-court settlements.

The above list does not include all the types of lawyers you should know about. However, it contains some of the most common you are likely to come across in your hunt for a lawyer to represent you during litigation. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when picking a lawyer to represent you. The right one depends on the situation you find yourself in. The key is to hire a lawyer with qualifications and experience in a case confronting you.