is having a lawyer who is a shark a good thing

As long as your attorney is not fighting you but fighting for you, you may have a shark on your hands. And that could be a good thing if you find yourself in troubled waters. If you need a shark on your side, you can consult with an experienced and zealous attorney near you.

Full Answer

What does it mean if a lawyer is a shark?

What people used to refer to as a “Shark” attorney. For years lawyers have been celebrated for aggressive and often times, unreasonable negotiations and fighting no matter the cost. “Sharks” used to be equated to a person who refuses to back down, and most likely to hurt the other side in a divorce.

Do lawyers lie to win cases?

The American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct states that a lawyer “shall not knowingly make a false statement of material fact.” In other words, lawyers aren't supposed to lie--and they can be disciplined or even disbarred for doing so.

What are lawyers scared of?

Being judged unfairly by potential or actual jurors. Being intimidated by judges. Suffering reprisals from judicial disqualification motions or reporting judicial misconduct. Suffering “the pain, humiliation and shame of defeat.”

Is it worth getting a good lawyer?

A good lawyer can help you protect your assets and offer sound advice for complicated legal matters thanks to extensive expertise in a specific practice area, such as employment, personal injury or family law.

What should you not say to a lawyer?

Five things not to say to a lawyer (if you want them to take you..."The Judge is biased against me" Is it possible that the Judge is "biased" against you? ... "Everyone is out to get me" ... "It's the principle that counts" ... "I don't have the money to pay you" ... Waiting until after the fact.

What happens if a lawyer loses a case?

If the attorney loses the case, the client is still responsible for legal fees as stipulated in the original retainer contract. Some attorneys may agree to withhold billing until the end of a case, but they will still expect payment regardless of how the case ends.

Why do lawyers drop clients?

Lawyers can withdraw based on the fact their client refuses to be truthful, refuses to follow the attorney's advice, demands to pursue an unethical course of action, demands unrealistic results, desires to mislead the Court, refuses to cooperate with their counsel as well as countless other reasons.

What is the most common complaint against lawyers?

Perhaps the most common kinds of complaints against lawyers involve delay or neglect. This doesn't mean that occasionally you've had to wait for a phone call to be returned. It means there has been a pattern of the lawyer's failing to respond or to take action over a period of months.

Do lawyers talk to each other?

Attorneys can also directly communicate with each other on behalf of their clients. They can discuss potential settlement agreements, upcoming hearings, and other matters. This avoids the parties communicating directly if that is not a feasible option and it ensures that the legal matters are properly dealt with.

How much does it cost to hire a lawyer?

Throughout the United States, typical attorney fees usually range from about $100 an hour to $400 an hour. These hourly rates will increase with experience and practice area specialization.

How do you know if your lawyer is working for you?

Check your lawyer on legal sites such as Avvo or nolo, as well as on general sites like Google Places and Yelp! to see what other clients have to say. Search peer-review online databases such as martindale.com to see comments and opinions from other lawyers. 5. Get another lawyer's opinion.

Do better lawyers win more often?

A key challenge is that case selection is not neutral. That is, a 'better' lawyer may win more often because he or she chooses better cases to bring to court — and declines or settles those with a lesser chance of winning.

Lawyers Should Be Zealous, Not Vicious

Melville's reference actually turns the lawyers-as-sharks pejorative around: "There is the ordinary Brown Shark, or sea attorney, so called by sailors; a grasping, rapacious varlet, that in spite of the hard knocks received from it, often snapped viciously at our steering oar." Now "grasping" and "rapacious" are not complimentary words, but pursuing an end "in spite of the hard knocks received," is nearly mandatory for attorneys..

Predator or Protector?

Is your attorney zealously asserting your position? Is she seeking an advantageous result? Is she diligent? So often the adjectives we use to describe sharks -- single-minded, efficient, relentless -- are desirable assets in a competent lawyer fighting on our side.

What happens when a shark lawyer gets a hold of a family?

When a Shark Lawyer gets a hold of a family like that, all that is accomplished is that the attorney is richer, the co-parenting relationship is destroyed and the children suffer.

Why is a dolphin lawyer so effective?

But the Dolphin Lawyer is a more effective advocate because he recognizes that good practice is more than just winning a battle at court. Rather, strong advocacy is about improving the client’s situation.

What is dolphin lawyer?

A Dolphin Lawyer seeks to understand his client’s pain so that he can help find solutions. He understands that people are coming through his door at the worst times of their lives. He doesn’t judge. Rather, he seeks to be compassionate and understanding.

What is strong advocacy?

Rather, strong advocacy is about improving the client’s situation. While it may make the Shark Lawyer richer, needlessly exacerbating conflict and wasting money on unnecessary legal procedures is hardly effective. The Dolphin Lawyer does not fear conflict. She is comfortable working with raw, heightened emotions.

Why do lawyers operate with standard operating procedures?

Many lawyers operate solely by a lawyer’s instinct to act as a zealous advocate, which actually exacerbates conflict. They operate with standard operating procedures and cookie-cutter approaches to their cases failing to tailor their approach to the individual families with whom they work.

Is a dolphin smarter than a shark?

As opposed to a shark who smells blood from miles away and mindlessly devours whatever fish crosses its path, a dolphin is smarter about how it goes about its business. As warm-blooded mammals, dolphins are very intelligent and creative hunters.

Is a dolphin lawyer a wimp?

The Dolphin Lawyer is No Wimp! Keep in mind, Dolphin Lawyering is not wimpy. A Dolphin Lawyer can be very tough in advocating for her client’s interests. The key is that she can do it with compassion and intelligence. The Dolphin Lawyer is as knowledgeable as any other attorney.

As nouns the difference between lawyer and shark

is that lawyer is a professional person qualified (as by a law degree and/or bar exam) and authorized to practice law, ie conduct lawsuits and/or give legal advice while shark is a scaleless, predatory fish of the superorder selachimorpha, with a cartilaginous skeleton and 5 to 7 gill slits on each side of its head or shark can be (informal|derogatory) a sleazy and amoral lawyer; an ambulance chaser..

As verbs the difference between lawyer and shark

is that lawyer is (informal) to practice law while shark is (obsolete) to steal or obtain through fraud.

English

First attested in the 1560s, the word meaning 'scaleless fish' is of uncertain origin: it was apparently brought to England, with a specimen, by . The word may derive from the ( etyl) xoc, or it may be an application of the "scoundrel" sense (which derives from the German ) to the fish; no explanation is agreed upon.