The world of sports isn’t what it used to be. Like much of the world at the moment, there are strict divisions that are causing conflict between players, coaches, team managers, venues, and other parties. Given the state of things, many sportspeople are looking into finding a lawyer to help keep them protected in current and future scenarios. With that in mind, the following will explore a few reasons someone involved in sports might want a lawyer, as well as a few tips and tricks you can employ to help you determine which lawyers are high quality and worth your time.
Legal Proceedings Involving Other Parties
First and foremost, if you’re dealing with some sort of legal agreement or disagreement and the other party involved has a lawyer, you need to get one for yourself asap. Lawyers study long and hard to get to where they are, and they know how to work with the system.
If you’re facing a professional lawyer without your own legally-minded advocate who is going to warn you in advance about your social media presence and using certain phrases, you’re at a severe disadvantage. Law is a game that most people don’t know how to play. You want at least someone on your team who knows the rules and how to best accomplish goals within them.
Advice When Interacting With The Press
Lawyers can also give you sound advice when it comes to interacting with the press. Sports events are often widely covered by media outlets, and speaking to the press—particularly if there are disagreements occurring off camera—can be daunting. It’s always a good idea to speak to a lawyer first before making any kind of public statement.
What Is A High-End Lawyer?
Quite simply, a high-end lawyer is someone who offers you the best legal counsel possible, explains things in a way that you understand them, and advocates for you in the midst of legal proceedings. Whenever you’re considering a lawyer, you want to have a consultation with them to feel things out and look out for these warning signs. Sometimes a bad lawyer can do more harm than good.
When it comes to determining whether a lawyer you’re speaking to is high-end, there are a few things you can do. Foremost, pay strict attention to how quickly they get back to you when you reach out; this can indicate how easy it will be to get in touch with them should you need to. Secondly, you want to pay attention to how often you’re interrupted during your consultation; if a lawyer is constantly answering calls or popping into the other room to help with something, this is a strong hint that you’re going to receive the same treatment when you’re working with them. Finally, be wary of anyone who promises certain outcomes.
Legal Proceedings Can Be Confusing
Another reason you might want to work with a high-caliber lawyer comes down to the complexity of the law. Much of the current legal system began long ago; there are ancient Latin-inspired terms coupled with antiquated laws that have been revisited and tweaked several times over before being interpreted by judges in different scenarios several times over. Consider this classic legal, philosophical question:
Let’s say that it’s illegal to sleep in a particular bus station. A police officer walks through that station at 2 am. First, she finds someone who has lain out a sleeping bag, brushed their teeth, put on pajamas, and crawled inside the sleeping bag where they’re currently awake but lying down with their eyes closed. Second, the police officer finds a man fast asleep, sitting up on a bench with his suitcase in his lap and his ticket for a 3:00 am bus in his hand. Who was this law designed to stop? Who is it actually stopping? Who is guilty of a crime here?
A professional and skilled lawyer will be able to explain things to you in a way that you understand them. Understanding what’s going on can better help you make wise decisions regarding the law.
Financial Support
While lawyers can cost you money, they can also gain you money. Professional lawyers have a deep understanding of how much something is worth in court and how much things cost out in the world. Things like injuries, slander, employment agreements, and other legal issues are often settled with a chunk of money.
You might have a hard time putting a price on your own suffering or on the loss of employment you received as a result of some issue, but a lawyer has likely encountered these sorts of financial statements before and know what things are likely going to cost.
The above information should have made it clear that there are many instances where having legal representation can aid sportspeople. Ideally, you want an experienced, well-reviewed, attentive legal professional who specializes in the particular kind of law you’re dealing with.