Do I really need an attorney?

People sometimes ask whether or not I think they should hire an attorney. In certain cases, my answer is yes probably 90% of the time. I am not just saying that because I am an attorney and I am a fan of having someone pay sometimes an upwards of $400 an hour for legal services. However, some people look at hiring an attorney as a bad idea because they don’t want to send the “wrong impression”. As if somehow by bringing an attorney into the mix is going to sour the deal.

This is where you can consider a new thought. Bringing in an attorney can help you to see how legitimate a deal actually is sometimes. Most people want (or should want) to protect themselves in the best way possible. You may think you know every issue out there but hiring an attorney is allowing a trained (and unemotionally invested) eye to spot issues that you might not otherwise see.

For every attorney that is potentially a jerk, there are also good ones as well who won’t overcharge you and truly do have your best interest in mind. Don’t sell yourself short because you think bringing in an attorney might screw up something. If the person you are dealing with changes their mind because you bring in an attorney, it is possible the deal you were about to enter into was shady anyway.

I know a few of you are thinking that attorneys can make a deal more complicated than it needs to be. And yes, sometimes that is the case but that is why it is imperative to take your time in interviewing the attorney you choose. Find out about their fees. If the fees are too high for your budget, see if they have a sliding scale or perhaps would do some type of flat fee arrangement. Hopefully you can afford the fees but if not, it is always good to ask additional questions rather than giving up on hiring the person entirely. If you can build an ongoing business relationship with the attorney, they might be more inclined to cut you a break on the fees.

Aside from making sure your attorney has knowledge surrounding your particular legal need, find out what their philosophy is when negotiating a deal. Sometimes an attorney will get so caught up in their own ego that they lose sight of their client’s needs. Now, of course no one will admit to you that their ego is so big that they will put it in front of your needs but you need to ask enough questions to understand their negotiating tactics.

I am not a supporter of frivolous litigation so don’t confuse the two. I just feel that sometimes people get themselves into situations where they feel forced to sign an agreement rather than just simply slowing down. Slowing down enough to have someone review the agreement to make sure their best interests are protected. It takes twice as much time/effort/work to get someone out of something rather than if they had just taken the time to properly enter into the agreement in the first place.

Don’t let anyone force you into a deal!