Most people go through life hoping they’ll never need the services of a lawyer. That’s because, in their minds, they only associate lawyers with the negative things they might encounter on their journey through life. They know that they’ll need a lawyer if they ever find themselves facing criminal charges, but most people don’t picture themselves in that situation. They also know they might need a lawyer if they find themselves being sued or want to take someone else to court. Again, for most people, this will never happen. There’s the obvious possibility of needing a lawyer to negotiate a fair divorce settlement, but even that’s something that most people would rather not think about.
Because of this generally negative perception of lawyers, which is at least partially down to how the profession is portrayed in the media and in television shows and movies (right down to how divorce cases work), most people aren’t aware of the many positive things that a good lawyer might be able to do for them. We want to highlight a few of those things. We know that many of you reading this article right now work in the legal profession, so you might know all of this already. That’s OK. This article is for the public – those who might be able to benefit from these services but would never ask about them because they don’t know they can do so.
In reality, the law doesn’t work the way that your favorite legal drama tells you that it does. Nor does it work the way that the ‘Court of Justice’ game at online slots websites tells you that it does. We don’t know who thought it would be a good idea to make UK Slot Games based on court proceedings or why anyone would want to play it, but apparently, they do! You can rest assured that what happens in a court of law will never be as random as what happens in a casino. With that in mind, here are five things a lawyer would be happy to work on with you.
1. Starting A New Business
Most of the people who become self-employed do so because they’re very good at what they do, and they’re tired of making money for other people when they could take the lion’s share of their earnings for themselves. That’s a good reason to go it alone, but without knowledge of how to set up the structure of a company, you could make big mistakes. A lot of those mistakes might result in large tax liabilities. By contrast, getting a good lawyer in when you’re starting things up might mean that you can take advantage of tax benefits that you didn’t know existed. That’s just one of many reasons that all start-up companies should hire a lawyer, and you should find out about the rest of them if you see yourself striking out on your own in the future.
2. Collecting Debts
There’s nothing worse than being owed money and not being able to get it back. If you’ve chased a debt up multiple times without a response, the next step is to take legal action to enforce it. This doesn’t mean going straight to a debt collection agency. A debt collector is not a bailiff and can’t enforce a debt unless the debtor willingly complies with them. A debt backed by a court order is a different matter and offers you greater enforcement rights in the event of non-payment. Obtaining a debt order is cheaper than suing someone and is often an effective means of finally getting what you’re owed.
3. Claiming On Insurance
We don’t think that insurance is ‘a bad thing.’ In fact, we believe that most people don’t have as much insurance as they should. That being said, insurance companies lose money every time they have to pay out a claim. If there’s a loophole they can step through to avoid paying you, they’ll take it. It’s hard to imagine anything more heartbreaking than receiving a rejection letter from an insurer when you’re desperate for the money that your policy says you should be entitled to. Processing a claim through a lawyer gives you a better chance of being taken seriously and also offers a second chance of getting a claim approved if the insurer’s first answer is ‘no’. No matter what stage of the process you are in, tsakanikaslaw.com has the knowledge and experience to provide information that will clarify the legal processes.
4. Receiving Social Security Benefits
Whether it happens when you’re retired or it happens earlier in your life because of a medical condition, there will come a time in your life when you’ll become eligible to make a social security claim. In many cases, social security is the difference between keeping a roof over your head or facing life on the streets. It’s essential that you get what you’re entitled to and rightfully deserve, and a good lawyer will be able to assist you with that. Not only can a lawyer fight for your right to receive social security benefits, but they may also be aware of other benefits you might be able to claim.
5. Going Bankrupt
Going bankrupt is a terrifying experience. It often comes at the end of a long, hard-to-navigate financial road, and it can be confusing. Most people assume that going bankrupt automatically means that they’ll lose their house, their car, and many of their other possessions. That doesn’t always need to happen – especially if other people live in your home. It’s even less likely to happen if you have children. Going through a lawyer to agree your bankruptcy arrangements with the courts and your creditors should mean that you get the best possible arrangement in place – one that doesn’t take away more than you should realistically be expected to part with. You’ve already lost enough if you’re considering bankruptcy. Don’t part with anything more if you don’t have to.
In all of these cases, these are pleasant jobs for lawyers to work on. Rather than prosecuting someone who’s guilty or trying to prove the specifics of a crime, they’re helping you to get a better outcome from your current situation or setting you up for success in life. Don’t be afraid to approach a lawyer – most of them are very nice people, and they genuinely want to help!