Whether you’re keen to enroll in a law degree soon or simply need to hire a lawyer, or want to be prepared for the day when you do, it’s helpful to understand this career path and what’s involved. However, for many of us, our only knowledge points are books, TV shows, and films, which can be very misleading.
While the life of a lawyer in stories appears either grimy and slimy or shiny and impressive, the reality is very different for attorneys who do this job day in and day out.
If you’re keen to know what you would be getting yourself into if you go down a legal career path or want to know how to best pick a lawyer for your needs, it pays to understand the true nature of these kinds of roles. Part of that is busting common myths about this type of professional. Read on for some top misconceptions you should know.
Myth: The Job is As Fun and Glamorous as It Looks on the Screen
Firstly, don’t think being a lawyer is always fun and glamorous like it often looks onscreen. While legal TV series and movies show exciting cases with all sorts of interesting twists and turns and lawyers who continually spend their time in court weaving memorable stories and winning over jurors, the reality is different for most real-life attorneys. In fact, lawyers typically spend much time on admin, meetings, research, planning, and other less-than-sexy tasks.
Also, while the lawyers we see on the big screen or in novels typically cover huge and valuable civil suits or incredible criminal trials, only a small number of lawyers actually work on these types of cases. Most don’t and particularly don’t handle such big cases continually. For most attorneys, much of their time involves mediating between parties to find a solution before action gets taken to a court situation or attending short, everyday-style civil court cases. Most lawyers spend a lot of time providing consultation to clients that tends to be very similar, too.
Another related myth is that the field of law moves quickly and is more exciting as a result. However, in the real world, there’s not only less drama but cases often drag on for months or years, and it can be many weeks, months, or sometimes even years before cases end up in court, too. It might appear in the world of fiction that people go from being charged or serving a lawsuit to being in court, but most cases don’t get to a courtroom and take forever to do so, too.
Myth: Lawyers Understand All Types of Law
Many of us assume that because lawyers have to study a lot and take the bar (or another country’s equivalent), they understand all types of law and can consult on any cases that come to them. However, while most attorneys will have general knowledge about various types, they generally always specialize in one or two fields so they can learn this area inside and out and attract a certain type of client, in turn.
For example, you might need to hire a lawyer that works in mergers and acquisitions, criminal defense, family law, environmental law, or patents. If you get hurt on the job or in a car crash or the like, you’ll want to find a Clearwater personal injury lawyer or an attorney specializing in personal injury in your suburb or city. There are all sorts of different lawyer types, so be sure to consult with one that knows the area you have an issue with before signing any contracts.
Myth: Attorneys Always Get Paid a Lot
Another prominent misconception about the legal arena is that all those who practice get paid a lot. While it is true that some attorneys earn big bucks, wear designer clothing, drive costly cars, and live in amazing homes, not all actually have high incomes, and certainly, most don’t earn as much as you might expect based on watching legal TV shows.
Only a fraction of the legal workforce is employed by large firms and gets highly compensated. Instead, most attorneys work in small organizations where they obtain a fairly standard wage. Some work for public interest groups, non-profits, government departments, and the like and are paid quite minimally, too. Once you look at the considerable number of hours most lawyers work each week and calculate their per-hour rate; it’s a lot lower than we’d expect.
Other myths about lawyers are that they spend lots of time in court, put on a show in front of the jury (in truth, they must be careful to present the acts in a clear, simple way), and do all their work themselves (many work in teams or have clerks and other assistants who help them). You might also feel that those who work in the legal field are cold and unfeeling, but again, this is typically very far from the truth.
Before hiring an attorney or becoming one yourself, it’s vital to learn more about this profession and avoid believing the long-term misconceptions that do the rounds about lawyers.
