7 Types of Legal Services Everyone Should Know About
Legal services include any advice, counsel, or assistance involving law-related matters. They are often provided by lawyers, but can also be offered by paralegals, law students and others.
Civil legal aid helps low-income people with civil (non-criminal) problems, such as accessing government benefits and disaster services; housing; and health care. This type of service is typically delivered by legal aid offices, pro bono attorneys, and community legal centers.
1. Legal Advice
Legal advice is the professional opinion of an attorney on how to resolve a specific legal issue. It involves analyzing the law and applying it to an individual’s factual situation. Only licensed attorneys can give legal advice, and they must form an attorney-client relationship with the person seeking it. This is a big difference from legal information, which anyone can provide.
Legal aid organizations provide a range of free and low-cost legal services to people who cannot afford them. These services may include legal consultations, representation in court, and advocacy on behalf of individuals and groups. These services are often the only lifeline for individuals facing life-altering consequences, such as losing their home or employment.
In most jurisdictions, legal aid organizations are funded by the government or private donors. Many offer a wide range of legal services, including family law, employment practices, and housing issues. They also work on broader legal campaigns, such as those targeting domestic violence or employment discrimination.
Individuals who do not qualify for free legal services can seek legal aid from private lawyers and dedicated family law lawyers in Brisbane. In addition, they can apply for a public defender, who is assigned by a judge in criminal cases.
2. Document Drafting
Legal documents are essential for any business and drafting services help businesses ensure their documents meet the legal requirements for their industry. They can also help businesses understand their options and potential liability with specific documents, such as contracts or agreements. A well-drafted document can prevent future disputes and costly litigation.
Drafting legal documents requires understanding a variety of complex laws and terms. It is important to consider the audience of the document when preparing it. For example, the language in a contract drafted for a client will be different than one drafted for a judge. Keeping the intended audience in mind can prevent unnecessary confusion and make the process more efficient.
The legal drafting process can be time-consuming for law firms, especially when multiple attorneys are involved in a case. To save time, many lawyers use templates or other assistive tools for their drafting work. These tools can help to speed up the drafting process and reduce the likelihood of errors, which can be costly for both the client and the lawyer.
3. Legal Representation
Whether in civil or criminal cases, attorneys act as a client’s advocate throughout the legal proceedings. This includes filing lawsuits and other legal documents, arguing in court and conducting research. It also entails preparing contracts, agreements and other legal documents for clients. Lawyers can provide advice for business transactions, real estate matters and other civil cases.
Attorneys typically specialize in branches of law that they excel in after graduating from law school. However, some attorneys do general practice and may not be proficient in all areas of law. To ensure that you hire an attorney who is competent in your specific case, you should review his or her background and experience. Consumers should also consider an attorney’s reputation and any ethical violations reported by a state’s professional responsibility board.
Many attorneys offer their services pro bono, or without charge. Typically, these lawyers specialize in helping the poor or disabled. They are often experts in landlord-tenant, consumer and welfare laws, which are common problems for the low-income population. To receive representation by a pro bono attorney, contact your local legal services or legal aid office. Many of these programs are funded by grants. They will not accept bankruptcies, divorces or personal injury cases.
4. Litigation
Litigation is the formal legal process of resolving disputes through our public court system. This includes lawsuits and other types of legal proceedings, such as arbitration or mediation. Typically, litigation is the last resort in resolving disputes that cannot be resolved by other means.
During the litigation process, each party prepares an argument supported by findings and facts. This often involves an extensive discovery process, where each party requests evidence from the other such as business records, email, and phone data. Parties may also use expert witnesses to provide specialized knowledge that could be persuasive in a case.
The outcome of the case is then decided by a judge or jury. The decision is binding and enforceable, which makes it a powerful tool for businesses to protect their interests. Furthermore, the decision can set a precedent that can deter future contentious behavior or make it easier to resolve similar disputes in the future.
If either party is unhappy with the outcome of a case, they can file an appeal to have the case reconsidered by a higher court. This does not mean that the case will be tried again; instead, the appellate court will examine the trial record and determine if there was an error in law or procedure that warrants reversal of the judgment.
5. Negotiation
Negotiation is an essential skill that everyone should be comfortable using, whether they’re buying a car or trying to settle a legal dispute. Good negotiators are often in better positions to achieve professional success and personal happiness than those who don’t have strong negotiating skills.
Conflict negotiation involves resolving disputes, differences, and disagreements among people with varying interests by finding common ground and creating mutually acceptable solutions. This is also known as cooperative or problem-solving negotiation. Cooperative negotiating can be more effective than adversarial negotiation, which can result in the parties seeing each other as enemies rather than as potential partners.
Legal services organizations (LSOs) are non-profit community-based groups that help people with civil legal issues. For example, Brooklyn Legal Services (BLS) helps residents stop evictions, protects homeowners from foreclosure and mortgage lenders, advocates for the rights of low-income individuals, addresses discrimination in housing and mortgage lending, and works to ensure that elderly Brooklynites have access to necessary public benefits.
A number of governmental departments and agencies have negotiation teams, which negotiate with outside companies or organizations on behalf of the government. When negotiating on behalf of the government, Justice counsel must be clear about the limits of their mandate as well as the impact an agreement may have on existing laws or policy.
6. Arbitration
Arbitration is an alternative to litigation that involves a neutral third party listening to both sides of a dispute and applying relevant laws. It’s much like a trial in court, but it is typically less arduous and expensive. It also allows parties to choose a decision-maker of their choice, which may be helpful for international cases where the parties might not trust local judges and courts.
During an arbitration hearing, both parties present their evidence and question witnesses. The hearing can take place in person or through written submissions. If a witness cannot attend, the tribunal can issue subpoenas to compel them.
The tribunal then makes a final award which can be binding or non-binding and will end the dispute one way or another. Unlike a court judgment, it’s very difficult to appeal an arbitration ruling.
7. Legal Insurance
Legal insurance is a great way to access legal services for an affordable price. This type of plan is available from many different providers and is often included as part of an employee benefits package offered by employers.
Just like medical insurance, legal insurance helps offset the cost of expensive legal procedures. But unlike traditional health insurance, it doesn’t require a monthly deductible or co-pays. This makes it a cost-effective and convenient way to get help with everyday legal issues, such as reviewing and drafting documents, negotiating contracts, or filing a lawsuit.
However, it’s important to note that legal insurance does not cover every type of legal issue. For example, a legal plan will not cover labor law issues such as workplace injuries or wrongful termination. It also will not cover real estate matters such as buying and selling property or drafting legal documents related to commercial transactions.
For individuals who regularly encounter legal matters that aren’t covered by their employer-provided benefits, a personal legal insurance plan is an excellent option. Known as group legal services insurance, legal expense plans, or prepaid legal services, this type of plan is designed to make legal assistance more affordable.
