While the movies make it seem like people might just have one single attorney that they consult when they say “I’m calling my lawyer!” over an issue, the reality of this industry is far different from how cinema portrays it. To answer the question of “How many lawyers can you have?”, we’ll need to dive deep into the many types of lawyers that exist. For every area of law, some lawyers specialize in practicing and researching that area of law. Some lawyers may seem like they generalize their services on the service, but even they will share that they have certain types of cases that are more in their wheelhouse than others. Some attorneys like criminal defense attorneys may advertise their expertise and services on billboards or local newspapers. Others may be more covert about their specialties.
1. After an Accident
When you get into an accident, the question of how many lawyers can you have becomes complicated. If it’s a simple brush between vehicles and you don’t even have to call a tow truck to take your car away from the scene, you may not need to call an attorney. If the other party in the accident sustained injuries and there are considerations that you may be at fault for the accident, it’s ideal to call attorneys who specialize in criminal defense. On the other hand, if you were the one who sustained injuries during an auto accident and you believe that the other party was at fault for the collision, you can try to get a personal injury lawyer who understands the auto insurance process. In any case, after an accident, you need as many lawyers as you need. For some, that may be zero while for others it could be two or three, depending on the severity of the circumstances and the legal trouble you find yourself facing as a result of the accident.
2. Opening a Business
While you’re in the process of opening a business, asking how many lawyers can you have is a complicated one to answer, once again. You may need lawyers who help you write contracts or even simply want someone to consult if something comes up in the business planning process from a legal perspective, you’ll find that commercial and finance attorneys are great at helping in those scenarios. Some attorneys make it their life’s work to help business owners in a specific area of business, so the more specifically you can identify your problem or area of interest in the law, the easier it will be to find an attorney who’s a good match for you. For some issues like illegal activity caught on your jobsite security camera, you’ll want to contact potential attorneys sooner rather than later. Waiting until you run into bigger issues to have a short list of attorneys you are interested in consulting is a recipe for disaster and for not getting assistance from the attorney you want when you need it.
3. Before Auto Purchases
When we answer the question of how many lawyers can you have, you might think that the only time you need to call an attorney about a vehicle is after an automobile accident. This isn’t the case. Before you evaluate a trailer tire and wheels on a trailer you’re thinking about purchasing, you should consult with an attorney to make sure that the process of transferring ownership of the vehicle doesn’t put you or the other party in legal hot water. While buying a trailer or car might seem like an easy enough transaction, there’s a lot of legal red tape to it. You’ll want an attorney to look over contracts before you sign them and negotiate in your best interests if necessary. Without an attorney, you may end up signing contracts that you don’t fully understand when purchasing a vehicle. When this happens, it can leave you on the hook for things that you didn’t truly grasp while you were purchasing the vehicle. An attorney can also help you with the financial side of the laws around buying a vehicle if you believe you have been wronged in that area of law.
4. When a Dog Bites You
After a dog bite, the question of how many lawyers can you have becomes tricky to answer. If you’re the person who was bitten by a dog that wasn’t your dog, it’s important to consult with a local dog bite lawyer to see if you have any avenues for suing or receiving assistance with covering the medical and emotional costs associated with suffering a dog bite. Depending on the specific circumstances of the dog bite, you may need an attorney who can defend you in the case of criminal charges or advocate for your interests if the other party is facing criminal or other charges. Because a dog bite is so emotionally devastating if it’s severe, having an attorney to communicate with the offending party can take some of the pressure off of you as you work on recovering from the dog bite.
When you experience a dog bite, you’ll want to document the event as best you can and gather as much evidence as possible before you pursue legal assistance. According to tingeylawfirm.com, “If a dog bites you, it is crucial to record evidence after receiving necessary medical attention. Evidence comes in many different forms. Speak with witnesses to the bite, take photos of the injury, and record any expenses resulting from the bite. These expenses can range from medical bills to missed work.” The last thing you want to do is let the dog bite go and forget about it. Without crucial evidence, your case is unlikely to go anywhere and some lawyers may not be willing to take it on their caseload.
5. DUI Situations
If you’ve received a DUI charge or are at risk of receiving a DUI charge, getting the help you need may have to start with getting an attorney who specializes in defending DUI cases. A DUI attorney can help you advocate for your need for alcoholism treatment if alcoholism was the root cause of the DUI. In this case, the question of how many lawyers can you have becomes fairly simple–you can have as many attorneys on your team as it takes to get you the help you need while navigating the legal system. While you may wonder what a DUI attorney does, thelawplace.com shares that “If you have been charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI), a DUI lawyer will be able to offer you all the legal advice you may need. A DUI lawyer’s job is to ensure that the outcome of the settlement or court case goes as much in your favor as it possibly can, by building a strong case in your defense.”
If you were the victim of a DUI, you might want to consult a personal injury attorney or another attorney who understands what you’re going through as well as what you need on a legal level. In this case, having at least one attorney who can advocate for you and give you solid legal advice is recommended. If you don’t like the advice of the first attorney, you can always consult with another one and see if they can help.
6. Renting Dangerous Equipment
Before you rent dangerous equipment like a boom lift rental, you need to ask yourself how many lawyers can you have. This is because you may need a lawyer lined up if you or one of your fellow contractors is injured on the job with that dangerous equipment. Without a lawyer in place, you’ll waste precious time trying to find the appropriate attorneys to help you remedy a situation or protect yourself.
7. Before Big Projects
If you own and operate a local excavation company, the answer for how many lawyers can you have depends largely on the volume and scale of projects you have. If you’re a one-man show who operates the establishment on your own, you won’t need worker’s compensation insurance so worker’s compensation attorneys may not be helpful for you. If you’re working on a big project with multiple employees, though, consulting with attorneys who specialize in commercial matters, contracts, finance, and worker’s compensation may benefit you. If you ask them about potential liability risks before you face those problems, you’ll go into the work scenario better-prepared to handle almost anything it throws at you.
8. Medical Malpractice
When it comes to the question of how many lawyers can you have, an animal doctor like a veterinarian and a doctor who practices medicine on humans may consider how they could lose their license if they didn’t have the right amount of legal representation. For many physicians, malpractice is a major concern that causes them to consult with attorneys from time to time. For patients, too, medical malpractice is a major concern that could lead them to seek legal advice from attorneys who specialize in helping those who have suffered from medical malpractice.
There are many reasons why someone who is a patient may seek to sue for medical malpractice or file complaints about this issue. According to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, “The 4 predominant reasons prompting patients to file a lawsuit included 1) a desire to prevent a similar (bad) incident from happening again; 2) a need for an explanation as to how and why an injury happened; 3) a desire for financial compensation to make up for actual losses, pain, and suffering or to provide future care for the injured patient; and 4) a desire to hold doctors accountable for their actions.” Outside of these reasons, patients may have their justification for filing lawsuits for medical malpractice. No matter why one is filing a medical malpractice lawsuit, it pays to have appropriate legal counsel every step of the way.
9. Before Big Purchases
When you want to know how many lawyers can you have for making a large purchase, you should ask that question before you jump at a ” hellcats for sale” sign on your way home from work. Large purchases sometimes require contracts or agreements to be made between the buyer and the seller. In these cases, enlisting appropriate legal counsel matters. Before you buy or sell a house or extremely valuable item, you should speak with an attorney and ask them to help you draw up the right types of contracts to protect your interests while mitigating liability. In some cases, one lawyer may be able to get the job done. In others, you might need an attorney to help with the financial side of a transaction and another to help with protecting your assets. The amount of lawyers you need in this situation varies greatly, so you should do what’s best for you and your preferences.
10. Hurt at Work
If you were injured at work, it’s time to call a workers comp lawyer. For this situation, the question of how many lawyers can you have varies. You might only need one lawyer who can walk you through the worker’s compensation process and help you get the money you believe you deserve to cover medical costs or compensate for emotional or physical damage. Alternatively, you might need multiple attorneys if it’s a particularly complicated case or one that requires lawyers who have additional expertise to offer.
Whether you need one lawyer or five lawyers, the list above should give you an idea of all of the types of lawyers that are available. For complicated cases that span through several areas of law, it can help to build a legal team that has lawyers who specialize in different areas of law. Sometimes, pulling in a new perspective from another lawyer can help you see a case with fresh eyes and offer solutions that the initial attorney didn’t see. If you want your lawyers to be the most helpful they can be, they may need to consult with other attorneys in their field to help you to the fullest extent of the law. Although it’s expensive to hire more than one attorney, it can be worth it if it gives you the outcome that you desire most of all. Instead of thinking about money, consider your goals.
