Legal Help 101: A Client’s Guide To Different Types of Lawyers 

If you’ve ever needed a lawyer and gone searching, you quickly realized a few things. There are lots of lawyers in the world. In fact, it might be surprising to find that there are 1,338,678 licensed, active attorneys, in the United States. 

However, just because there are so many, many might not meet your needs if you’re looking to hire a lawyer. So, what are the different types of lawyers practicing law?

If you need an attorney, you want to hire the right attorney for your case. Read on to learn more about the different types of lawyers.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

A criminal defense lawyer works to defend a person who has been accused of some type of criminal activity. 

You might hire a criminal defense attorney yourself or have one assigned to you as a public defender.

Criminal defense attorneys are most likely to appear in court as their cases often involve going to trial. 

Business Corporate Lawyer 

Business lawyers, often also called corporate lawyers, work in the world of business. Often, they work for a specific business where they handle all of the business legal matters. 

A corporate lawyer is likely to handle:

• Mergers
• Acquisitions
• Formation or dissolution of businesses
• Patents
• Intellectual property
• Liability disputes

They might also handle financial matters for the business, including tax matters. Although a business might also hire a tax lawyer. 

Estate Planning Lawyer

An estate planning lawyer helps people plan for the future by creating their will and trust. 

A real estate attorney will be knowledgeable in tax matters and financial planning too. This type of attorney should also be ready to handle probate matters for an estate. 

As part of estate planning, they will also help to avoid the need for probate. 

Family Lawyer

A family lawyer is one who handles a wide scope of issues a family might have or need. This might include:

• Adoption
• Child custody
• Divorce
• Prenuptial agreements

Their role often involves counseling clients about their legal options. A family lawyer will often work as a mediator to resolve family disputes too. 

Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury lawyer will work to represent a client who has experienced a personal injury to handle insurance companies and any potential litigation as a result of the injury. 

Personal injury areas might include:

• Auto accidents
• Medical malpractice
• Product liability
• Workplace accidents
• Bike or motorcycle accidents
• Slip and fall 
• Dog bites

The lawyer will work to make sure the injured party gets compensation to cover the expense of the injury, lost wages from work, and often compensation for pain and suffering from the accident. 

Know the Many Types of Lawyers Who Can Help With Your Legal Needs

All types of lawyers can practice law. But if you want to find the best lawyer for your specific needs, you need to consider the types of lawyers available and get the one who practices in your area of need. 

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