The legal world is often one that is shrouded in mystery for those who don’t often deal with the court systems, legal filings, or court cases on a daily basis. In fact, the only connection that many people have with the legal world is what they see on television shows such as Suits, The Practice, or Law & Order SVU.
Sadly, these shows sometimes perpetuate some common misconceptions about working with a legal office and what to expect from your legal case. Let’s explore some of the more common myths and misconceptions about law offices so you can understand how your situation may play out.
Misconception – Resolutions to Cases Happen Quickly
While it would be great if every court case could be resolved in under an hour like they are on television shows, this is far from the norm in a typical legal case. Court cases can last weeks, and even months depending upon the type of case, how much discovery is needed, the number of witnesses, and how filled the court calendar is.
Your lawyer should be able to give you a realistic guideline of how long a case should take during your consultations. Keep in mind that while it would be wonderful if cases could be resolved quickly, law offices are often at the mercy of the court calendar and how busy the court is in a given week or month.
Misconception – All Resolutions Happen In Court
Television shows often depict court cases being solved in front of a judge or jury of one’s peers. This is also a misconception. Many times court cases are resolved between the prosecution and defense teams outside of the courtroom. Magistrates often help lighten the court load by helping mediate cases.
Misconception – All Attorneys Speak in Legal Jargon
From acquittal to affidavit and from appeal to arraignment, there are a million legal terms to learn and those are just some of the terms from the beginning of the alphabet!
Your lawyer will help you understand the process and the terms that you will commonly hear during your case. Speaking in layman’s terms will help you have less anxiety about your case and help you understand what is going on so you can participate in your case fully.
Misconception – Hiring An Attorney Is Too Expensive
Legal cases can be expensive but remember to talk to your attorney about what the costs will be and how you can manage the payments. Some suits are contingent on the case being settled in court, especially if there are any fines or a case has been decided in your favor.
Misconception – All Lawyers Are Aggressive
Lawyers are often depicted in movies and television shows as cutthroat and aggressive. Not all are, nor do they need to be.
Lawyers should aggressively work on their client’s behalf but they needn’t do it in a rude or disrespectful manner. Talk to your lawyer first to confirm that your personalities fit well together and that your lawyer has a specialty or experience in the type of case you need assistance with.
As an experienced attorney in OUIs, criminal cases, violent crimes, drug cases, domestic violence cases, and probation violations, I make it my goal to clearly communicate what will happen during the entire process. I will explain things in as simple terms as possible and can translate them into Spanish for those who need it. Talk to the Law Office of Patrick Conway for your next legal case.