confused man about hiring lawyers

Do I Really Need a Lawyer? I’m Smart – Can’t I Just Represent Myself?!

Let’s face it, hiring a professional can be expensive, especially if you hire a good professional. There is no denying that you can be smart and still need a professional with experience in a particular field in which you are not trained. Most lawyers I know hire other lawyers to represent them when they are faced with a legal issue. Even Will Rogers said “There is nothing so stupid as an educated man, if you get him off the thing he was educated in!” I also saw a humorous mug that said, “Don’t confuse your Google search with a law degree!” While these are attempts at humor, there actually might be some truth here.

I once tried to wire up a ceiling fan complicated by an attached light fixture at my house. Seemed simple enough, right?! Well I got a jolting reminder that it might be best to leave the professional work to the pros.

This is true in any profession. It is true that you could technically work through a self-appendectomy with a scalpel and a how-to video on YouTube, but this is hardly safe nor advisable—and even more importantly, it’s probably really going to hurt! In the same way, it is important to know that there is danger, and maybe pain, if you go into court without the professional trained to be there.

Even Lawyers Hire Lawyers

It is notable that even lawyers hire other lawyers if the problem is outside of their area of expertise — at least the smart ones do! It was Abraham Lincoln who said, “He who represents himself has a fool for a client!” Even as a trained lawyer, it is very hard to maintain the objectivity and logic necessary to speak for yourself. Most of us lawyers would never try this — ever.

Maybe you have watched some lawyer shows on TV, and it looks pretty straightforward. Well, real court is not Hollywood and if you don’t know all the rules, traditions, or the proper decorum, a courtroom can be very unforgiving — and a lack of knowledge can certainly lose your case.

The Bottom Line…

If you need your appendix removed, please see a doctor. It will probably hurt less, and you will probably live. In the same way, if you are going to court for any reason, it is likely going to hurt a lot less if you hire a lawyer. This is about your life and your future, pretty serious stuff, I’d say.

If you are facing a situation that you feel you may need a lawyer, give us a call at 757-656-1000 or email us at info@attorneyholcomb.com and we will be happy to help you! Remember, you don’t have to go through this alone.

Need some more information about hiring at attorney and working with Holcomb Law? Check out our recent blog post here!