What To Expect When You Hire A Law Firm To Represent You
When you walk into a law office seeking representation, you might wonder what to expect. If you're not familiar with what a law firm does, it can be helpful to learn what to expect from working with one. Anyone who has hired a law firm to represent their interests can expect the following four things.
Zealous Advocacy
One of the fundamental duties of a lawyer's office is to provide each client with zealous advocacy. In other words, a law firm must do more than provide counsel. Whenever possible within the boundaries of the law, your attorney must also zealously advocate for your rights and interests.
Notably, this means an attorney's office can only represent the client's interests. If two parties are trying to iron out an agreement, for example, the law office can only represent the interests of one side. The other side will have to find another law firm because your counselor can't advise them about what to do.
Unbiased and Informed Counsel
Your lawyer also must provide you with unbiased counsel. They shouldn't allow their desire to represent you to color their assessment of how things are going. If you're pursuing legal action and the other party offers to settle, the law firm must inform you of the offer. Likewise, your attorney must tell you whether they believe the settlement is a good deal for you, regardless of their overall opinion of the situation.
Similarly, an attorney's office should be free from moralization or political opinions when it comes to a client's case. The goal is to provide the client with unbiased recommendations based on the attorney's best understanding of what's going on.
You also are entitled to informed counsel. A law firm has resources to deal with both factual and legal research. If an attorney needs to know something, they can study the law, look at reports, or contact relevant parties for interviews.
Ethical Advice
A lawyer's advice should always be ethical and legal. If you hire an attorney to deal with a dispute with the government, for example, they should offer solutions that fit within the law. Likewise, a good lawyer will never promise to deliver a result they can't guarantee.
Understanding of Your Rights
Whenever you work with a law firm, you will have the opportunity to learn what your rights are. This includes explaining what the relevant precedents are for the situation you're handling. An attorney should explain which laws apply to your case and how the proper application of the law might affect the possible outcome.