IMPORTANCE OF A LAWYER

WHY IS A LAWYER IMPORTANT?

(Prevention is better than cure)

A lawyer is qualified to give a legal advice and assistance to clients and represent them in court or in other legal matters.

From signing a contract to buying a house, every phase is affected by the legal system. Thus, lawyers hold huge accountability in maintaining and adhering to a strict code of ethics.

A lawyer may specialize in different areas like intellectual property, environment law, bankruptcy, aviation, etc. They represent you in Court, business transactions and other legal proceedings wherein the law would be discussed. They act like a “repairman”, and fix what is broken on behalf of the Client.

Every legal matter does not require the use of an attorney. However, in many situations involving a legal dispute, one may not wish to take the risks of going through it alone without the advice of an experienced lawyer who can help out. In fact, while good legal representation may not be cheap, it can help in getting out of a number of sticky situations – such as a bad divorce, lost job, including broken agreements, lost claims, or worse, jail time.

While each person’s legal situation is different, a lawyer is required for the following reasons:

The law is complex:

The law is complicated in nature. In some situations even experienced     lawyers cannot represent themselves in court. Failing to hire a lawyer when starting a business, reviewing a contract or other situations with potential legal action can result in avoidable pitfalls.

Having a lawyer can save money:

A civil case could hurt financially in the long run while a criminal case may compel a person to spend time behind bars. Hence, hiring a lawyer at the right time and acting upon his/her advice can actually save money.

Lawyers know how to challenge (and sometimes suppress) evidence:

 A common man may not even know that a key piece of evidence is important for his case and can help him in winning the case. Only a qualified lawyer would be the correct person to assess the evidentiary value of documents that may be in the possession of a prospective litigant.

Attorneys understand how to properly file court documents and handle other legal procedures:

If you’re not an attorney, you may struggle with the deadlines and protocol for properly filling out and filing certain legal documents. One late or incorrect filing could delay your case or have the case thrown out altogether.

Prevention is better than cure:

Hiring a lawyer in many instances can help one avoid potential legal headaches down the road.  A lay man may not understand the terms of the contract that he has to sign and may end up signing a contract that would be counterproductive in the long run. Hence, engaging a lawyer can help to prevent future problems.

Sanchayeeta Das

Associate

The Indian Lawyer