This is a bit of a trick question. There is no such thing as a family law attorney. There are just Attorney’s. Attorneys are actually forbidden by RPC 7.4 from claiming to be a specialist. Every attorney licensed by the Washington State Bar Association may appear in any family law case. The question is whether they have made the choice to accept cases in that area. An Attorney practicing family or domestic law is an Attorney who accepts clients who are looking for representation on a diverse band of case types, including divorce, parentage, parenting and support, third party custody, de facto parentage, committed intimate relationships, and others.
Is it necessary as a legal matter to obtain an Attorney? No. It is entirely possible, and many do elect to file and complete a divorce without the aid of counsel. The question you should be asking is “Should I get an Attorney for divorce?” And the answer to that is: maybe. It depends on your specific case, your goals and assets. We offer free consultations in part to help clients figure out what their legal needs are. It may be they need a retained attorney, or it may be that the services of Limited License Legal Technician will suffice. Or it may be that legal aid organizations are available.
A Criminal Defense Attorney represents the interests of a criminal defendant throughout the legal process, filing motions, negotiating, questioning witnesses… doing whatever needs to be done to protect their client’s interests.
Yes. Absolutely. The State is always represented by an Attorney, called a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Every criminal defendant needs that same kind of firepower in their corner.
Civil Litigation. Civil law is the broadest branch of law, covering contracts, probates, torts, personal injury, and the like. A Civil Litigator is a lawyer who helps guide a client through the complex process of civil litigation.
A contract lawyer can mean many things. Given the context, likely we are speaking about a lawyer doing transactional work. In essence, a Transactional Attorney gets involved before a case moves to litigation and helps draft agreements, so the parties never need to take a matter to court. It was Benjamin Franklin who said: “An Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Getting a lawyer involved before a disagreement arises can save everyone a headache.
Everything. A business attorney is an attorney who helps guide a business through the complex process of formation, licensing, drafting contracts and handbooks, and all the other various necessary functions of a business.
Whatever a client requires with regards to real estate. This can mean drafting contracts, deeds, reviewing easements, and ensuring all the various hurdles are taken care of so a client may enjoy their real estate to the fullest.
There is no set of “Construction Laws” which are separate and distinct from the laws in other contexts. The Law of Contract is the Law of Contract. However, Construction is a unique factual situation, which has a number of unique doctrines which handle these factual situations.
Administrative Law is law propagated by Executive Branch Agencies, rather than the legislature. It is meant to enforce and give effect to the laws passed by the legislature.
It depends on the type of case. If you are a Criminal Defendant, if you are considered indigent, an attorney will be provided at no expense to you. If it is a civil, or family case, you may meet with the Northwest Justice Project, in order to seek legal assistance at no expense.
There are no such things as “the constitutional rights.” The Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Washington grant the people of these two sovereign entities with numerous rights and obligations. Beyond that, the only real way to figure out the import of the Constitution to your situation is to speak with an attorney.
It depends wildly on what kind of employee you are. First, if you are a member of a Union, you should speak to your Union Representative. He is the single best person to answer this question. If you are not, your rights are very limited. You have the right to be free of discrimination on the basis of a protected class (Gender, Religion, Nationality, Race, and potentially Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, though those last two are currently being litigated), the right to be free of sexual harassment, the right to have the contract between you and your employer kept. Most employment in Washington is “at-will” meaning that most people can be terminated without cause. If your employer decides they just don’t like you for no reason, they can fire you.
Elder Law generally refers to a branch of law that concerns the needs of the more senior among us. Powers of Attorney, Wills, and other estate documents can help give clarity to the twilight of life and prepare for the inevitable. Vulnerable Adult Protection Orders can help protect Seniors who have been taken advantage of.