Choosing a Lawyer can be a difficult task, especially if you’ve never had to do it before. If you have engaged a lawyer in the past, it may not even be possible to use the same one again for any number of reasons.
We’ve taken some of the hard work out of it and summarised some of the common types of Lawyers and how to choose which one is right for your needs.
The Specialist
The Specialist might be the right fit for you if you have a specific problem you need solved. Specialist Lawyers have significant experience in their chosen area of law and can provide cost effective and accurate solutions, very quickly. You won’t be able to see the same Lawyer next time you have a different legal problem outside of their specialty, but they can often refer you to another Specialist.
The Generalist
Generalists will tell you that they can help you with most things. They won’t necessarily have any experience in dealing with your problem, but they will research it and come up with an answer for you. These lawyers are often found in small law firms. If you want a one stop shop Lawyer whom you can see every time you have a legal problem, then this is your Lawyer.
The In-House
The In-house Lawyer knows your business, knows your risk appetite and knows what’s relevant to you. The In-House Lawyer enables its client to respond to legal issues quickly, as very little briefing is required before the Lawyer can commence work. In-house Lawyers used to be available only to entities large enough to afford a permanent Lawyer’s salary. Now smaller businesses can benefit from the In-House Lawyer in various ways.
The Big Law
The Big Law Lawyers are found in large law firms. They have significant resources behind them, but are often the least cost effective, in part due to the number of sign-offs required before your deliverables hit your email. The Big Law Lawyer might be right for you if your matter extends across multiple jurisdictions or if you need the name of a large law firm behind you (and you are willing to pay the extra cost for it).
The New Law
The New Law Lawyers are the ones breaking the mold of traditional law firms. They often offer fixed fee legal services and many work remotely or on location at their client’s office. They embrace technology to provide legal services when you need them. These Lawyers are perfect for start-ups or business owners that do not like traditional law firms.
So where do we fit you might ask? Our Lawyers, having experienced each of the categories at different stages of their careers, now operate as Specialist Lawyers and New Law Lawyers.
Think we might be a good fit? Contact us today on 1300 941 900.