LRT Law

Did you know that almost every lawyer in America specializes?

Specializing simply means that they will only work on certain types of cases.

There are so many different types of cases that a lawyer can work on; bankruptcy, tax, domestic, juvenile, criminal, child support, custody, guardianship, special education, adoptions, estate planning, businesses, non-profit and so on. When you call a law office in an attempt to hire a lawyer, they will typically ask you to explain a little about your problem. If you tell them you've been arrested, they know it is a criminal issue, if you say you want to adopt your grandchild, they know it is an adoption, and so on.

If the lawyer(s) in that office do not practice the type of law that your case will need, they will let you know that they cannot take your case. In a smaller area like East Tennessee, most attorneys will then offer you a recommendation of an attorney locally that practices the type of law you may require.

It is very important that you don't get upset and throw a fit when someone tells you that they cannot take you case because they don't practice the type of law your case requires. You want a knowledgeable attorney working on your case. You wouldn't want a heart doctor reconstructing your toe, why would you want a criminal defense lawyer drawing up your bankruptcy.

Just remember that many times attorneys will practice several areas of law, just because an attorney practices in several areas, does not mean that he practices them all.

Did you know that lawyers, like doctors, perform triage?

Lawyers have to look at all of the problems in front of them, and figure out what order is best for things to be taken care of.

Sometimes things have to be done by a certain date and somethings are truly emergencies and need to take priority.

A lawyer doesn't often have the ability to give you instant advice or an instant solution. Be patient, schedule an appointment and be prepared to make the best use out of your time with questions you may have.

You want your lawyer's attention when dealing with your case, so do all the other clients. You can't expect your lawyer to answer an unscheduled call from you during a meeting with someone else. A lawyer has a duty to get back to you as soon as possible, so you can trust that they will.

If you already have an attorney dealing with your situation, give them the time they need to work through it. If something important comes up, send them a message. If it's urgently important they will get back to you and help you work through it. When you are the one going through the problems, everything seems important and every change seems like an emergency, more often than not, these changes are nothing to worry about.

Don't forget, every call to check in, every text asking how things are going, every email back and forth... shows up on your bill.

Did you know that there are many different areas of law? In fact, there are so many areas of law, and each area is so complex, that most attorneys only practice a select few areas. For example, LRT practices family law, juvenile law, special needs law, elder law and criminal law. However, if you were to contact LRT about a tax issue, or a personal injury law suit, you might be referred elsewhere.

There is no shame in asking a lawyer what areas of law they practice in. You don't want an attorney unfamiliar with criminal law handling your criminal case, just like you don't want an attorney unfamiliar with custody agreements working through your divorce. Ask! Attorneys exist to answer your questions and guide you through the legal process.

Sidenote: If your friend is a lawyer, or you have a lawyer that you use regularly for various reasons, don't get upset if they tell you they cannot take your case when it is not in an area of law that they usually practice. They are watching out for you and don't want to take a case they cannot help you with. I can almost guarantee they are not trying to be mean.