{"id":358092,"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\/what-lawyers-do.html"},"modified":"2026-02-09T11:56:50","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T16:56:50","slug":"what-lawyers-do","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/hirealawyer\/do-you-need-a-lawyer\/what-lawyers-do.html","title":{"rendered":"What Do Lawyers Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What Do Lawyers Do?<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Steven Ellison, 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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The purpose of your attorney is to advise you in a way that best serves your interests while keeping you in compliance with the law. They have a legal duty to advocate for you and protect your confidentiality. Lawyers serve many functions, such as court representation, general counsel, and helping with legal paperwork.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Before you can decide whether or not you need a lawyer, it’s important to understand what it is that lawyers do. Unless you’ve had personal experiences with a lawyer, your image of lawyers may come from popular culture. Most TV shows and movies portray lawyers arguing in court. While some lawyers are trial attorneys, lawyers do much more than go to court.<\/p>\n

A lawyer can help you with starting a business, tax issues, estate planning, real estate, marital issues, and so much more. Speak with a local lawyer<\/a> when you need trustworthy legal advice for these situations and more.<\/p>\n

This article describes the basics of how a lawyer can help you. For more details, you can read about the roles of lawyers in specific practice areas<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What Is a Lawyer?<\/h2>\n

A lawyer, also called an attorney or counselor, is a person who provides counsel to someone involved in a legal dispute or who is dealing with legal issues. Other roles in the legal profession include judges, magistrates, public notaries, paralegals, and others who provide legal services to the public. The attorney is the only person who may give\u00a0legal advice<\/a>\u00a0to a client.<\/p>\n

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Requirements for Becoming a Lawyer<\/h3>\n

There are various requirements that a person must fulfill to become an attorney. First, after receiving an undergraduate degree, the person must go to law school, which involves at least three years of intensive legal education and training. After successfully earning a degree from law school, the person must take and pass the bar exam, a rigorous state licensing test. The person must also pass a personal character and moral fitness test.<\/p>\n

Once all of these requirements are met, the person will be sworn in by the state and\/or federal court, making the person officially licensed and ready to practice law as a member of the state bar. It’s important to note that licensing for an attorney is governed by each state, so you need to check your state’s rules to determine the exact requirements to become a lawyer in your state.<\/p>\n

Who Regulates Lawyers?<\/h3>\n

The American Bar Association (ABA) oversees standards and practices for attorneys nationwide. It provides guidance and model rules for state bar associations to copy for their own uses. The ABA\u2019s \u201cModel Rules of Professional Conduct<\/a>\u201d set professional standards for attorneys in all 50 states. Attorneys who fail to abide by their state codes of conduct and ethics may be liable in a malpractice suit.<\/p>\n

Attorney-Client Relationships<\/h2>\n

If you hire a lawyer to help you with your legal issue, that person owes you the duty of attorney-client confidentiality. This means that anything you discuss with your lawyer, even in a first meeting, is confidential. Confidentiality allows you to discuss your case openly and honestly with legal counsel to help determine whether they are the right lawyer for your case. This confidentiality also exists if you hire that lawyer to provide legal representation in your case.<\/p>\n

When you meet with an attorney for the first time, they will explain how legal fees will be handled. Some cases, such as a traffic ticket or drafting a will, may be handled with a flat fee. Other cases, such as personal injury or car accident cases, may be handled as a contingency fee, which means the attorney will be paid a percentage of the amount collected for you at the end of the case.<\/p>\n

In addition, there may be cases handled with a retainer and hourly rate. This means you pay an amount of money upfront to the lawyer and then they will send you a monthly bill with a breakdown of the work done on your case by the attorney and their paralegal or other staff in their law office. This includes charges for drafting legal documents, phone calls, or other legal work in your case.<\/p>\n

No matter the way your case is handled, make sure to ask about how costs such as court filing fees and expert witnesses will be billed to you. These are extra costs in any case.<\/p>\n

What Are a Lawyer\u2019s Duties?<\/h2>\n

A lawyer has several enumerated duties under the Rules of Professional Conduct. A client has the right to expect their attorney to exercise these duties during the course of legal representation.<\/p>\n

These duties include:<\/p>\n