The Main Types of Lawyers: A Complete Guide

The US is home to approximately 1,327,910 lawyers and counting. Clearly, there’s no shortage of lawyers for legal help in the country. In fact, a simple Google search will expose you to dozens of lawyers near you, eager to help you out.

While we often seek legal help for specific issues, it’s worth noting that not all lawyers can handle your specific cases. That’s right; there are different types of lawyers for different legal fields. Knowing the various types of attorneys will help you make a more informed decision when looking for a lawyer to handle your case.

In today’s post, we’ll be exploring the main types of attorney careers and what they entail.

Criminal Defense Lawyer

A criminal defense lawyer represents individuals facing criminal charges. They help ensure that the court and law enforcement don’t violate their client’s rights.

They also represent their clients in trials and ensure they receive a fair trial. In some cases, these lawyers negotiate with the prosecutor to get the charges against their client reduced.

Criminal defense lawyers are arguably the busiest lawyers of them all. You’ll always see bundles of papers, files, and documents in their offices. 

If you know any criminal defense lawyers struggling with paperwork, you can help. Try recommending these blank tabs to help with their paper organization.

Business Lawyer

Business or corporate lawyers are lawyers that work exclusively with businesses. Their primary role is to offer legal advice to businesses and help them stay within the confines of the law.

These lawyers typically have a broad understanding of business-related laws. These laws include tax laws, employment laws, intellectual property laws, etc.

If you’re a business owner or run a corporation, you’ll most likely need the services of a business lawyer at some point.

Corporate lawyers typically work in one of two ways. They either work for a specific company as in-house lawyers or for a law firm that offers legal services to businesses.

Real Estate Lawyers

Real estate lawyers are in high demand across the country because of the growing real estate market. Real estate lawyers are legal experts who specialize in matters related to property, including buying, selling, leasing, and development.

If you’re planning on buying or selling a property, you’ll need the services of a real estate lawyer to help you with the paperwork and legalities involved. These lawyers can also help you if you face legal issues with your property.

Environmental Lawyers

Environmental lawyers are becoming more and more common as we become increasingly aware of the need to protect our environment. Environmental lawyers work on cases that involve environmental issues such as pollution, climate change, and conservation.

If you’re an environmental activist or run an environmental organization, you’ll need the services of an environmental lawyer at some point. These lawyers can help you with legal issues related to the environment.

Environmental lawyers typically work for environmental organizations or the government.

Family Lawyer

Most family disputes require the intervention of a family lawyer to set things right. Family lawyers are lawyers who specialize in matters related to family law. This includes divorce, child custody, child support, and so on.

Most people hire these lawyers for their divorce proceedings. However, they handle a lot of other family-related issues. Some of these issues include adoption, paternity, and juvenile delinquency matters.

Personal Injury Lawyer

If you’ve been injured in an accident, it’s likely you’ll need the services of a personal injury lawyer. These lawyers specialize in cases that involve injuries to the body or physiological trauma.

Personal injury lawyers help their clients get compensation for the injuries they’ve suffered. This includes medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In some cases, these lawyers also help their clients get punitive damages.

These lawyers must prove that the other party’s negligence or malicious intent led to the injury. Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis, which means they only get paid if their client gets compensated.

Estate Planning Lawyer

An estate planning lawyer is a lawyer who helps their clients plan for the future. This includes drafting wills, trusts, inheritances, and power of attorney documents.

Estate planning lawyers help their clients make sound decisions about what will happen to their property and assets after they die. They also help their clients plan for the future of their families in case of incapacity.

Most estate planning lawyers work with individuals, but some also work with businesses. If you’re a business owner, you may need the services of an estate planning lawyer to help you plan for the future of your business.

Employment and Labor Lawyer

Employers need employment and labor lawyers to demystify matters related to employment law. This includes discrimination, harassment, and wage and hour disputes.

Employment and labor lawyers typically work for employers or employee rights organizations. If you’re an employee who’s facing discrimination or harassment at work, an employment and labor lawyer can come to your rescue.

These lawyers also help employers comply with employment laws. This includes drafting employee handbooks and policies and providing training on topics like sexual harassment and discrimination.

Tax Lawyer

A tax lawyer is a lawyer who specializes in tax law. This includes federal, state, and local taxes. Tax lawyers help their clients with tax-related issues such as tax planning, tax compliance, and tax litigation.

Most businesses need the services of a tax lawyer at some point. A tax lawyer will help you iron out all taxation issues to ensure your business is fully compliant with tax laws if you’re starting a business.

The Different Types of Lawyers Made Easy

Picking a lawyer for your legal issue should be easier now that you know the different types of lawyers. If you dream of becoming a lawyer one day, use the information above to specialize in legal jobs that pique your interest.

For more informative content, check out the other posts on the site.