Last Updated on March 17, 2024 by Umer Malik
Wondering what are the different types of lawyers that practice law? And how can they help you and your business? Typically, when it comes to the legal profession, the law offers a vast and varied field. Just like the medical field, you have different medical specialized doctors; the legal field is no exception. For example a lawyer might choose to specialise as a personal injury lawyer or a bankruptcy lawyer.
It’s always a good idea to find a specialized lawyer to help you, depending on your case. Such an expert will significantly increase your chances of winning the case. Let’s look at the different types of lawyers and how they can help you.
Table of Contents
1. IP (Intellectual Property) lawyer
Any technical, creative, or scientific invention can be duplicated or copied by other researchers. If you’ve created a unique concept, it’s always good to consult with an IP lawyer on how to patent, secure, trademark, or create licensing agreements.
Typically, most of the role of an IP lawyer is to provide legal advice to their clients on how to market and secure their creations. IP lawyers can also help negotiate settlements if someone has infringed on their client’s work. IP lawyers are basically knowledgeable on innovation and business trends. Their work may entail dealing with several government agencies, including the US Copyright office and so much more.
2. Business/Corporate lawyer
Business lawyers are law experts who cover a wide range of expertise, for instance, maintaining, managing, building, or dissolving businesses. They deal with the legal formation of a particular business, tax compliance, employment contracts, mergers, and acquisitions.
Corporate lawyers may also help solve business or employment disputes and handle corporate or individual entities. Such lawyers may choose to specialize and only work for large companies or small businesses and startups.
3. Immigration lawyers
If you are applying for citizenship, you’ll need an immigration lawyer. They understand the immigration laws and regulations and will help you determine the best course of action. Undoubtedly, dealing with immigration laws is complicated and will have you read through a ton of paperwork. It’s virtually impossible to win your citizenship without an immigration lawyer by your side. They also help deal with potential deportation cases, which you must avoid, especially if you are trying to acquire a green card. These are the lawyers who will assist you with immigration matters. However, they would not be able to help you with a motor vehicle accident injury claim. For this type of legal assistance in WA you would need to locate a car accident lawyer in Perth.
4. Bankruptcy lawyers
As the name suggests, bankruptcy lawyers have deep knowledge of the bankruptcy code and help individuals and corporates deal with such issues. They generally specialize in either dealing with individuals or corporates. Bankruptcy is a pretty serious issue and should always be handled by professionals in the field. That’s why it’s better to deal with a bankruptcy lawyer when you or your business is planning to file for bankruptcy.
When it comes to consumer bankruptcy, the bankruptcy lawyer will represent the creditors or the individuals. On the other hand, in commercial bankruptcy, these lawyers will represent the corporate debtors and creditors. All in all, the role of these lawyers in both specializations is ideally the same. They help their clients navigate through their financial restructuring, evaluate disputes and plan confirmations.
5. Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have been injured at work, in a public place, or in a motor vehicle accident, the type of lawyer you need to assist you is a personal injury lawyer, such as injury lawyers Perth. These types of lawyers develop expertise in guiding their clients through the compensation claims process to the conclusion of the claim, which usually occurs by way of a negotiated settlement.
6. Family Lawyer
Most people categorize family lawyers as divorce lawyers, but that’s not entirely true. Family lawyers handle most cases related to domestic relations or family-related issues, for instance, paternity, adoption and guardianship, and child welfare.
A family lawyer’s responsibilities may include drafting contracts, drafting negotiations, counseling the family on legal options, or resolving family issues. Generally, family lawyers can work in small law firms or non-profit organizations specializing in family laws.
7. Financial Lawyers
Financial lawyers deal with the management of the financial liabilities of their clients. They help structure their client’s transactions and best protect the client’s legal and commercial interests. Financial lawyers also negotiate the contractual relationship between borrowers and lenders. This field is quite vast, and it’s constantly evolving. As such, they always have to stay ahead of the game by learning new trends.
8. Tax Lawyers
Without a doubt, taxes can sometimes be complicated. You might often find yourself on the wrong side of the tax laws even without knowing it. That’s where tax lawyers come in. If you are planning to start a business or expect a taxable asset, consulting with a tax lawyer could help you put your taxes in order.
Theyhelp deal with any disputes you might have with the IRS. These experts are familiar with litigation and court proceedings. Additionally, anything you tell your tax lawyer is privileged information, and they can’t disclose it to anyone, unlike accountants. Therefore, any information you share will be protected as attorney-client privilege and can’t be used against you in court.
9. Labor and Employment Lawyer
Labor lawyers are responsible for handling relationships between unions, employers, and employees. Their primary focus is issues around the workplace like discrimination, wage, hours regulations, harassment, pension security, and benefits.
Employment and labor lawyers’ responsibilities tend to overlap, but labor lawyers primarily focus on collective bargaining and management of union relations. On the other hand, employment lawyers cover matters in workplaces that are not under a union.
10. Criminal Defence Lawyer
Criminal defense lawyers play advocacy on behalf of individuals accused of illegal activity. The criminal defense lawyer is responsible for ensuring their fundamental rights and liberties are fairly upheld in their justice system.
While a criminal defense lawyer can either work as a public defender or private attorney, their primary task is leveraging the law to the accused’s advantage. They must uphold the law while protecting the interests of their clients. A criminal defense lawyer will appear in court more often than any other type of lawyer.
11. Constitutional Lawyer
Constitutional lawyers are experts in the interpretation and implementation of the constitution. Constitutional lawyers are responsible for balancing the government’s and individual’s interests. Some of their roles include representing individuals in discriminatory lawsuits or challenging the constitutionality of specific legislations.
They can also work as constitutional law experts in universities. In some cases, constitutional lawyers may also be involved in arguing legal issues before the state supreme courts or cases involving civil rights.
Read More: How to Save for College and Retirement at the Same Time.
