A lawyer is a licensed legal practitioner whose duty is to uphold the law and protect the rights of clients they represent.
Some of the roles lawyer play include:
- Provision of legal counsel
- Research and gather evidence or information
- Preparing legal documents as it relates to contracts, divorces, real estate, wills, and clients need
- Defending or prosecuting in court.
What does a lawyer do?
The duties of a lawyer transcend basic court trials. Law is extensive, and a single lawyer can’t provide all the legal counsel for each aspect of the law.
You can liken it to a doctor that specialises in a specific area – lawyers also choose one or two similar areas of law.
Here is a list of an area in which lawyers specialise and the role they play.
Divorce Lawyer
The role of a divorce lawyer is to address issues relating to dissolving marriages. Their task includes legal filings, child custody, and assets and debts division amongst spouses.
Family Lawyer
The role of a family lawyer is to handle all issues relating to the family. Some of the issues include adoption, child abduction, child and spouse abuse, surrogacy, divorce, among others.
Family lawyers represent their clients in negotiations or family court proceedings. They also help draft necessary legal documents as it relates to the case.
Immigration Lawyer
As the name implies, immigration lawyers help clients determine the duties, legal rights, and obligations of individuals considered immigrants or aliens. They also help clients gain legal citizenship in their country of residence. They represent clients in court and prevent them from deportation while also assisting with citizenship tests. An immigration lawyer serves as an intermediary between immigration authorities and clients.
Criminal Lawyer
Criminal charges are handled by an experienced criminal lawyer to get the best outcome in court. Criminal lawyers act as defendants or prosecutors depending on who they represent. For instance, they could defend an organisation or individuals facing criminal charges.
Also, they could represent the government in criminal proceedings against an accused person. Some of the charges a criminal lawyer deals with include drug-related crimes, fraud, theft, manslaughter, sex crimes, etc.
Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer
The accident and personal injury lawyer focusing on civil law cases relating to physical and psychological injuries from an accident.
Accident and personal injury lawyer focus on the aspect of law called tort law. They provide legal service to clients who claim to have been injured due to the negligence of other persons.
They assist their clients in seeking reimbursement for the incurred costs. A common example of personal injury claims includes workplace injuries, traffic collisions, professional malpractice, and defective products.
Business and Corporate Lawyer
As the name implies, these lawyers work on cases related to businesses. They counsel and guide their clients (public and private companies) through complex legal issues. Some of their area of focus include contracts, employment law, property, sales, bailment, and related service.
Other aspects of law where you may need a lawyer include:
- Bankruptcy Lawyer
- Employment Lawyer
- Animal Lawyer
What does a lawyers workplace look like?
A lawyer can work as a public defender/prosecution (when working for the government), a private company, or in a law firm.
Most lawyers work between 50 to 80 hours per week, which includes weekends. A newly hired lawyer serves as clerks, tasked with gathering useful information for upcoming trials.
If you want to find the best lawyers in Gold Coast, conduct research and ask your family and friends for referrals.