Many people who are accused of a crime need an attorney for their criminal trial. However, not every lawyer is a criminal defense attorney. Many handle civil cases, such as personal lawsuits. If you would like to learn more, check out these four times you may need a civil attorney.
Fighting a Personal Injury Case
One of the most common types of civil cases are personal injury cases. While some personal injury cases end up going to court for the judge to determine how much you deserve, most disputes are handled during an informal settlement. Even if you choose the settlement route, you’ll need a skilled attorney to negotiate for you, so you get your fair settlement.
If you’ve been injured, and someone else is to blame, talk to an attorney immediately. There is a statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits, so if you wait too long, you may automatically lose your case. Once your attorney starts the paperwork, however, you don’t need to worry about the timeframe any longer.
Adjusting Alimony Payments
If you’ve gotten divorced and are required to pay alimony, you may be wondering how you can eliminate or reduce the payments. Unfortunately, even if you are struggling to pay your bills, it’s hard to get rid of alimony payments. In fact, even if you file for bankruptcy, you won’t be allowed to include your alimony.
To qualify for alimony adjustments, you’ll need to show that your circumstances have changed somehow, such as losing a job, developing a disability, proving the ex has a new spouse or live-in partner. However, after the motion has been accepted, your ex-spouse will be allowed to ask you about extra financial documentation like paystubs or tax returns.
Settling Debt
Many people struggle with debt but a civil lawyer can help. For starters, a civil lawyer can help you with the bankruptcy process. Filing bankruptcy will help eliminate most types of debt, including credit cards, personal loans, car loans, home loans (you will lose the home and/or vehicle), or medical bills. It cannot eliminate alimony, child support, school loans, or tax debt.
During the end of the bankruptcy process, you must attend a meeting of creditors. During this meeting, your creditors can show up and try and argue for the full amount. In this case, you definitely need an attorney in your corner.
Of course, not everyone wants or can go through bankruptcy. In this case, your attorney can still help with debt settlement by contacting the debt collectors and lenders directly. They’ll be able to negotiate the lowering your debt. For example, if you racked up $1,000 on a credit card but now you owe $1,500 because of interest, your lawyer may be able to get the $500 removed since you only spent $1,000.
Counteracting Discrimination
Sadly, discrimination still happens in many workplaces. You may be treated differently, insulted, fired, or overlooked for a promotion solely because of your gender, age, sexual identity, sexual preference, religion, or ethnicity. Luckily, this is completely illegal, so you can fight your employer in a discrimination civil case.
You may be scared to file a civil claim because of retaliation, but retaliation for speaking up against discrimination is also illegal. Therefore, if you have been discriminated against for a protected characteristic like gender and race, it’s in your best interest to talk to an attorney, especially if you’ve suffered financially due to the discrimination.
Even if you think your case is a slam dunk, it’s imperative to hire a good civil lawyer to help ensure you get the settlement you deserve. Whether you are just getting rid of some debt or fighting discrimination in your workplace, an attorney can help. For more information, contact us at Daniels Long and Pinsel today.