{"id":358082,"date":"2016-04-04T10:46:22","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/hirealawyer\/do-you-need-a-lawyer\/how-to-determine-if-you-need-a-lawyer.html"},"modified":"2023-09-01T15:01:26","modified_gmt":"2023-09-01T20:01:26","slug":"how-to-determine-if-you-need-a-lawyer","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/hirealawyer\/do-you-need-a-lawyer\/how-to-determine-if-you-need-a-lawyer.html","title":{"rendered":"How To Determine if You Need a Lawyer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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How To Determine if You Need a Lawyer<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Susan Buckner, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Most situations in life do not need an attorney. Yet, failing to hire a lawyer when you need one is risky. Knowing when you need legal help and when you don’t is important to protect your interests.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When something bad happens, the first question people might ask is: \u201cDo I need a lawyer?” Not all bad situations need a lawyer. Some good situations should have a lawyer, but people don’t think of hiring one.<\/p>\n

Online legal services exist with links to\u00a0state forms<\/a>\u00a0and templates. Most of these services can walk you through the steps for finding and completing the documents. What they cannot do is give you\u00a0legal advice<\/a>. If you have a legal issue where you have questions about state or federal law, you need an attorney.<\/p>\n

You can start researching the legal issues in your case by reading FindLaw’s Learn About the Law<\/a> section. Get more specific advice by meeting with a lawyer near you<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When You Might Need a Lawyer<\/h2>\n

A legal aid service can provide legal information. That is, they can tell you what forms you need to fill out to file a case, what the filing fees are, and what court you should file in. The courthouse may have a legal aid or self-help office to give filers assistance in finding and filing their legal documents.<\/p>\n

If you need someone to review your paperwork to be sure you’ve filled everything out right, you need an attorney. Legal aid workers will not do this. It is a violation of state bar association rules for anyone who is not a licensed attorney to practice law or act as if they are an attorney. That includes telling you if you’ve done anything wrong on your legal papers.<\/p>\n

Situations Where You Might Need a Lawyer<\/h3>\n

If you’ve never had legal representation before, you might not have thought of reasons you might need one<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some types of cases that need an attorney include:<\/p>\n