When your case is headed for court, you always want a litigation attorney with experience before a judge and jury. The same legal professional that has been advising you thus far may not have that experience; he or she may need to provide a recommendation for a qualified legal representative if that is the case. Finding a litigation attorney with experience is rarely a problem. Problems more commonly arise when a client unknowingly passes up a specialized litigator.

Why Specialization Is Key

In many ways, the legal profession is just as specialized as medicine. A neurosurgeon may be able to perform open heart surgery in an emergency, but a cardiac specialist would be far more qualified. In the same way, a probate attorney is the best choice for a dispute over a will. A corporate specialist might be able to help advise you on the most basic elements of your case, but only an elder law lawyer will be able to help you with knowledge of the latest case laws and rulings.

One of the most crucial advantages of choosing a specialist for a court case is that the specialist will understand the relevant judicial precedent. When judges issue a ruling, it is often based off the idea of legal precedent. In essence, legal precedent encourages judges to rule similarly in similar cases, intending to create a constant representation of the law. As a result, a probate attorney would review findings and decisions issued by judges in probate cases to determine precedents. It is quite time consuming for an elder law lawyer to stay up to date with all the case law in his field, making it quite uncommon to find a legal professional who understands the precedent in more than his particular field. Choosing a non-specialist to represent you in court could result in a misunderstanding of precedent, or could possibly cause it to be ignored altogether. If you don't know the precedent, you're missing a major component of your case's success.

A Probate Attorney For Probate, A Corporate Attorney For Corporate Law

Luckily, virtually every litigation attorney will clearly state his or her specialization on their website. Sometimes, a single firm will have a focused specialization, or a small group of specializations. Larger firms have the manpower to offer legal professionals from many different backgrounds, but ultimately you'll want to choose an elder law lawyer or specialist on the basis of credentials, background, and experience.

Finding Your Family Law, Tax Law, Or Elder Law Lawyer

If you’re having trouble finding the right specialist in your area, a Google search can be a good start. Simply type in the kind of lawyer you're seeking and the name of your city (or a nearby major city, depending on your location) and see what results pop up. You shouldn't choose a lawyer at random from that list. Only select a lawyer of any type after a thorough investigation of his or her credentials and after ensuring that he or she is licensed to practice law in your chosen state. After you've verified this information, you've got the information you need to make an educated decision about choosing a litigator.