What Do Lawyers Do?

Most lawyers focus on one or more practice areas, such as family law, criminal law, real estate, or business law. Whether you need to solve a problem today or prevent one down the road, the right attorney can help protect your rights and guide you through the legal system. Read on to learn what lawyers do, where they work, and how to decide between hiring and retaining one.

Here are a few examples of what lawyers do.

1. Give legal advice

Legal advice goes beyond explaining the law. An attorney looks at your specific circumstances and recommends what you should do, like whether to sign a contract or how to respond to a dispute. That's different from legal information, which explains how the law generally works and what your options are. Think of it like chess: legal information teaches you the rules, and legal advice gives you a strategy for your specific match.

2. Draft and review documents

Lawyers create, review, and edit important legal documents like contracts, wills, leases, and agreements. That way, everything is clear, fair, and follows the law.

3. Set up businesses

Depending on their practice area, an attorney can help you start your business. They'll know which documents and forms you need to file, and they can offer ongoing support to help your company stay in line with the law.

4. Help solve legal disputes

If you're in a conflict with someone else, a lawyer can help resolve it. That might involve mediation, arbitration, or going to court.

5. Represent you in court

If you're involved in a legal case, an attorney can represent you in court. They present your side of the story, argue on your behalf, and work to get the best possible outcome for you.

6. Negotiate on your behalf

Lawyers often help settle disputes outside of court by negotiating agreements between two or more parties. These could include business disagreements, divorce settlements, or personal injury claims.

7. Stay current on the law

Laws change, so lawyers spend time researching new laws and court decisions that could affect their clients.

8. Protect your rights

Lawyers help make sure you're treated fairly under the law. An attorney can step in if someone tries to take advantage of you or violate your rights.

Where can lawyers work?

Lawyers work in many different settings, including:

• Law firms: Groups of lawyers who help people and businesses with a range of legal needs.
• Government: Lawyers help write, interpret, and enforce laws.
• Businesses: In-house lawyers help with contracts, policies, and other legal responsibilities.
• Courts: Lawyers argue cases for their clients, and some go on to serve as judges.

Hiring vs. retaining a lawyer: which one is right for me?

Hiring and retaining a lawyer both mean getting legal help, but they work a little differently.

Hiring a lawyer means bringing on an attorney for one specific legal matter, like drafting a will, handling a divorce, or defending you in court. You usually pay for that work on its own, and the arrangement ends once the matter is resolved.

Retaining a lawyer means setting up an ongoing arrangement, so an attorney is "on call" when you need legal advice or representation. You typically pay a retainer fee, an upfront payment that secures their services for future work. Businesses and people with frequent legal needs often retain an attorney for long-term support.

Attorney vs. lawyer: is there a difference?

People often use lawyer and attorney interchangeably, but there are some differences depending on the context and where you are. Here's a simple explanation.

In short, a lawyer might teach law or do research without representing clients. An attorney knows the law and is also licensed to go to court and act on behalf of clients.

In the United States, most people use "lawyer" and "attorney" to mean the same thing, especially when talking about someone who represents clients. Technically, though, an attorney has more qualifications, because they're licensed to practice law in court.