Life happening is one of the main obstacles to your business success. Hopefully it will be a good life event, like a wedding or a new baby. While these happy events take up time of course, they are the reason you work hard in the first place.
More frustrating are the wholly negative life events. Accidents, disputes, divorce and disability. Hoping they won’t happen is not a strategy. If your business is to survive one of those hurdles you need to hope for the best and plan for the worst. Insurance is important and so is having the right legal advice and support at the right time.
You never know when you might need a lawyer, but when you do, it’s certainly important that you find the right one that specialises in the field you need to hire them for. Needing a lawyer usually doesn’t spell out happy times, but winning a case or getting compensated for something that isn’t your fault can help ease stressful times you might be going through.
With 140,000 solicitors licensed to practice law in the UK, there’s no shortage of lawyers to hire, but you want one that is familiar with your type of legal issue. Lawyers are like doctors in the sense that they specialise in different areas. Many law firms will cover a range of specialisms under one roof, with a team of experienced lawyers to handle a variety of different cases, while others have a tighter focus. Here is an overview of some of the main specialisms.
Corporate law
If you run your own business then you will probably need to consult a corporate law specialist at some stage. Within that broad umbrella, there are a range of specialists. An employment lawyer is important if you plan to take on staff. They will help you to ensure that employment contracts and terms are in order, so that if there is a dispute you will be well prepared. Intellectual Property specialists are important if you are developing an innovative product or service. Other important specialisms within corporate law include property, construction and contracts.
Civil law
Outside of criminal law, most other cases fall under civil law. While those issues are not directly business related, they do deal with the life events that act as barriers to getting on with business.
Civil courts typically handle disputes between people. But because civil law is also a very broad term, within this scope, lawyers also specialise in certain areas such as estate planning, divorce, and many others. Take a look at some of the most common practice areas so that when it’s time to get a lawyer, you know exactly what to look for.
Personal Injury
Different incidents of personal injury could include car accidents, slips, falls, malpractice, defamation of character, and even injury due to a defective product. In these cases, the plaintiff is the party that has been affected by an injury, which could be accidental or deliberate. So, depending on the situation, different lawyers will have their own way of approaching a case. The job of the lawyer is to get you compensation for your injury because an injury might keep you out of work for a while, or leave you with a temporary or permanent disability. Lawyers often try to negotiate with the other party’s (defendant) lawyer to reach a settlement. If a settlement is reached, there is no reason to go to court.
Car accident
A car accident is part of a personal injury claim. Victims of car accidents are entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. A car accident lawyer also typically deals with a motorcycle, bicycle, jackknife truck, and pedestrian accidents. However, not all accidents fall under the same laws just because they’re vehicle accidents. For instance, truck drivers are handled differently because their license to drive a truck is different, and trucking companies are obliged to follow special regulations.
Worker’s compensation
Injury at work is all too common. Some industries are more prone to it than others, such as industries that use heavy machinery, or those where workers do a lot of lifting and carrying. While back pain from heavy lifting is a common worker’s injury, there are many other types that may involve amputations, cuts, and burns. Some companies have their workers use obsolete machinery, or do not train their employees to properly use a machine, and others follow dangerous practices, putting many lives at risk. If you are self-employed or run your own business, you will be responsible for your own and your employees training and health and safety.
Wrongful death
If you are the beneficiary of a loved one who is deceased due to negligence or malpractice, we know nothing really compensates your loss. However, you are still legally entitled to compensation. Victims of a wrongful death often leave behind children, widows or widowers, aging parents, or disabled family members. They deserve to receive fair compensation for what has changed their lives forever. A wrongful death is one that could have been avoided, and it’s not easy to file this claim and prove it without the help of a lawyer.
You shouldn’t be looking for a lawyer who is a jack-of-all-trades, because the rest of that phrase goes “master of none.” A lawyer who specialises in your situation will diligently work to get the results you want. Needing a lawyer can mean you’re going through a difficult time, but when you have been a victim of wrongdoing or illegal actions, you need the right lawyers from firms like Faraj Defence Lawyers to bring the liable parties to justice.