Liaising with a lawyer is usually not something the average Australian gives much thought to. However, there may come a time when you, your business, or a family member requires assistance with a legal matter.
Not all lawyers work with all issues, which means that the type of lawyer you need will depend on the legal situation you’re facing. This can see you needing a commercial expert or even one of the contract lawyers Melbourne businesses rely on. This post takes a quick look at some of the more common legal experts you may need at some point.
Always Opt for the Right Expert
The type of lawyer you need depends on the issue you or your business may be facing. Specific legal areas have varying criteria, laws, and requirements, which means that it’s essential to enlist the right legal expert. Here’s a list of the top lawyers to know about.
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Contract Lawyers
Contract lawyers specialise in various aspects of contract law. This often includes the following:
- Drafting
- Reviewing
- Negotiating
- Focuses on resolving contractual disputes
Enlisting a contract lawyer will also ensure that your contracts are legally binding, as well as protecting your clients and customers’ interests.
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Commercial Property and Business Lawyer
If you’ve ever bought, sold, or leased a commercial property, then chances are that you may already have dealt with a commercial property or business lawyer. As one of the more common legal fields requested, commercial lawyers are used for dealing with all aspects associated with commercial properties.
This usually includes buying, selling, leasing and managing commercial properties. In addition to this, business lawyers may also be required to deal with all aspects of commercial litigation and dispute resolution. Entering into business partnerships will also require legal intervention.
Business lawyers can typically deal with the following issues:
- Contractual claims and disputes
- Insolvency
- Competition law issues and disputes
- Property and lease disputes
- Building disputes
- Leases
- Partnerships
- Family business disputes
- Negligence claims
- Sale and purchase of commercial properties by businesses
- Recoveries
- Joint venture and shareholder disputes
- Assisting with investment property development
- Intellectual property, patents, and trademark applications
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Family and Custody Lawyers
As the name suggests, family lawyers are crucial when you’re dealing with anything from divorce to adoption issues that may have arisen when one party has breached an agreement. When partners separate, it can become difficult to find consensus on all the various issues that made up the partnership. This is especially the case when children and assets are involved.
During a family dispute, a family lawyer may need to help you with a few of the issues listed below:
- Parenting matters
- Consenting orders
- Child support
- Property settlements
- Family violence
- Financial agreements
- Family law dispute resolution
- Surrogacy and adoption
- Intervention orders
- International custody issues
- De Facto and same-sex partners’ property
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Will and Succession Planning
This aspect of the law is one that you may not like to think about or discuss too often. Despite this, it’s still an essential part of your future planning. Using a will and succession plan lawyer is essential when you or a loved one has property, assets, and business interests that need to be dispensed of when the person passes.
A will and succession planning lawyer assists with setting up the will and ensuring that everything is divided and finalised when you pass. The average services offered by a will and succession planning lawyer involve the following:
- Making a will
- Arranging succession planning for your business
- Dissolving or amending business partnerships
- Updating your will as your assets or beneficiaries change
- Will disputes
Benefits of Using the Right Lawyer
Dealing with litigation and other legal matters can be complex and challenging to navigate if you have no legal background. Here are a few of the top benefits of enlisting the right lawyer:
- Lawyers are involved: If you’re involved in a case where the other party already has a lawyer, you will need to get your own lawyer as well. Not only will you be lost on all the jargon, but you may also miss out on using legal options that could benefit you if you know about them.
- Assistance with the admin: Legal matters can be very admin-intensive. A layperson may struggle to keep up with all the types of admin to complete, process, and submit.
- Requires specific skill: Not all legal cases are quick and easy to resolve. Some require an expert versed in specific areas of law.
Final Thoughts
Whether your company is dealing with an employee who may be suing you for breach of contract, or you’re in the middle of a messy divorce, having the right lawyer on your side can make all the difference. Teaming up with a specialised lawyer will ensure that your case has the best possible representation. This will mean that you, your family, and your business will have the correct legal protection when you need it!
