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The Costs of Delaying Legal Guidance

While many people struggle to afford legal guidance or are hesitant to hire or speak to an attorney, a cost still remains when dealing with legal issues without legal advice.

Having a property taken away. Failing to sell a home. Losing a five or six figure lawsuit. Facing the threat of a lawsuit that could hinder employment opportunities. 

The cost of resolving a legal issue is more than what you pay for professional services from a lawyer. Some of the most important life issues can be on the line, from money, to the family home, to the healthcare of a loved one. In addition to dollar costs associated with resolving these issues, such critical life decisions can also cause immense stress wondering about what might happen or when facing a lawsuit and you are unsure of what to do next.

Of course, not just any attorney will do in order to help you with your specific and unique needs. You don’t want to simply hire someone who will collect a fee for performing a service for you, but someone who will act vigorously on your behalf and be a trusted advisor to you on some of the most important issues in your life. To ease the burden of how to decide to hire an attorney, look for three key takeaways.

Three keys to look for when hiring an attorney:

A Great Listener

It is paramount to keep in mind that when seeking proper legal guidance, you must search for someone who will listen to you and understand your needs. Look for an attorney who will listen and allow you to speak, but who will also ask plenty of questions. Though it may seem invasive, asking a plethora of questions is necessary to gain a full understanding of your issue and how to best resolve it. Finally, you must feel comfortable not only in sharing your dilemma, but also that you are being listened to fully and your questions are being answered.

Trust with Confidential Issues

Often times, legal issues involve very sensitive financial, health, and personal relationship information. A lawyer who is deeply invested in your legal wellbeing must ask very detailed questions to understand the full scope of your problem and how to help. To safeguard such private details and conversations, lawyers are ethically obligated, with very few exceptions, to keep such confidential information secret under what is known as the attorney-client privilege. Therefore, you must seek someone you believe you can trust with such sensitive details and who will reassure you of these confidences.

Knowledgeable about the Issues You Need Help With

Seek help from a legal professional who routinely resolves the legal issues you have. Often times, our firm is approached about issues in the very specialized practice area of family law. Issues relating to divorce, child custody, alimony, and child support. While it is important to know a basic level of information about these issues since they intersect with other areas of the law, our firm not take cases that are looking for help in these specific areas because our area of expertise. Be comfortable with an attorney telling you that he or she cannot take your case because it is outside of their practice area, and be skeptical of an attorney who will take your case outside of their practice area. It may not be the best fit for you and can lead to more frustration and a result less than what you seek or need.

With these three keys in mind, you can make a better and more informed decision about how to select a good fit to be the caretaker of your legal needs.

As we begin this new year of 2022, a time for new beginnings and reflections about how to make the best out of the fresh 12 months ahead of us, it is an ideal time for us to consider what important issues we’ve been putting off because we don’t want to take on the immediate cost of hiring professional legal guidance to help.


  • This information is for general educational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice.


  • If you have a case you believe we can help with, Make an appointment with Patterson Justice Counsel and Attorney Tina M. Patterson for your consultation today. Don’t rush into decisions without the full and appropriate legal advice and backing.
  • Tina M. Patterson is the Principal Attorney of Patterson Justice Counsel, PLLC. She is an attorney licensed in the State of Michigan and Federal Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

To reach Patterson Justice Counsel, Call (313) 385-3720 or email help@pattersonjustice.com.

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