By reading this article you will learn about the dangerous practice of being your own lawyer.
The DIY trend is in high gear. Everyone wants to do things on their own to save a few dollars here or there. Hardware stores encourage this activity. I get that. It is one thing to be a weekend warrior around the house. It is an entirely different thing to be a professional with no professional training or experience. Yet, many people these days take that leap and act as their own lawyer. How hard could it be? Looks easy enough on television. Just be confident, brash and yell louder than the other person. And all the required instructions, procedures and legal answers can now be found online. Just Google it. See anything wrong with this picture? If not, I would urge you read on.
He who represents himself has a fool for a client.
Abraham Lincoln
Lawyers Have Legal Training
This Abraham Lincoln guy was a smart cat. He also was an extraordinary lawyer and the President of the United States. But I digress. Let’s make this simple. Would you pilot an airplane with your family aboard by watching a YouTube video? How about performing surgery on yourself after reading a copy of Gray’s Anatomy? If not, then why would you risk your financial and legal future in the same way by being your own lawyer? Still not convinced?
Lawyers Have Legal Experience
Ignorance is not a defense. That phrase applies to the law. Should you draft contracts on a napkin or defend yourself in Court, there will be a presumption you know what you are doing. The other parties to whom you will deal with, lawyers and judges, know what they are doing. They however may not tell you how to do things correctly. That is after all the job you undertook on your own. So if you mess up, the consequences fall straight on you. Here is the kicker. Many times you do not get a second chance to make it right. That means you are stuck with your own bad result. Need more reasons?
Lawyers Are A Necessary Cost
It costs less to do things right the first time then to correct a botched job. And that assumes the botched job can be fixed. If you are stuck with a bad result, the financial consequences can be devastating. In those instances, trying to be a penny wise can be a pound foolish. Legal fees are the cost of business for handling your legal needs. It is just part of life, plain and simple. Just like the cost of gas is the price you pay for transportation. You grin and bear it, there is no sense fighting about it. If it is truly an issue you cannot afford a lawyer, there are options for you to still get a lawyer. For those in poverty that qualify financially, you can obtain assistance from a legal aid office. For all others, you find a lawyer you can afford. You must weigh what it could cost you and your family if your legal issue, problem or transaction was a total loss versus what it would cost to handle it correctly with a lawyer. There really is no excuse. The question is not whether you can afford a lawyer but whether you can afford to not have a lawyer.
Legal Problems and their Solutions are not Easy
But it seems so easy! How hard can it be to be a lawyer? There are forms you can find online for free. There are lots of people, aunts, neighbors and water cooler commandos that can give you opinions and advice on how to solve your legal problems. So who needs all that ridiculous law school training? Speaking of which, you can just call a bunch of lawyers and ask them for free legal advice. I love this last one. First, if it was so easy why are you calling a lawyer in the first place? Secondly, why do you think lawyers should be free? No one complains about paying for cable, milk or a movie but yet there is an expectation that lawyers and their advice should be free? If you truly believe that, please pass me your resume as I have a job for you. Naturally you will work for me for free, right?
Lawyers Give You Confidence
Let me leave you with this final reason. Peace of mind. What is the main ingredient for worry? The unknown. And you will be getting a lot of the unknown being your own lawyer without training or experience. Do not set yourself up for failure. Do what you do best. Be a mechanic. Develop software. Sell. Build a house. Let lawyers be lawyers. And sleep well at night.
Contact me if you need Florida legal help, advice or a consultation. Contacting a lawyer to look at your legal issue and to provide you with your options is the first step to protecting yourself. I can be reached by telephone at (305) 373-3826 or by email at russell@russellaw.com
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