Sometimes You Need to Call the Plumber

There are a lot of things I know how to do around my house.  I can fix a toilet, replace electrical outlets, paint, patch drywall (OK, that I don't do so well!), replace flooring....well, you get the picture.  I do those repairs myself, and don't pay someone else to do them for me.  Some repairs, I probably could do if I read the manual carefully.  I mean, I could probably rewire the lights in my basement, move the bathtub to another location in the bathroom, and replace the trim on the outside of the third story of my home.  The point is, however, that just because I could do all of these things, doesn't mean I should do them.  For one thing, it would take me an inordinate amount of time to learn how to do them, let alone how to comply with all the rules and regulations regarding the repairs.  Then, I would actually have to do the repair itself, which would take me forever because I've never done it before.  Finally, there's the risk to me and my home if I somehow don't do the repair right.  If I called in an electrician, a plumber or a carpenter, they would be able to do the job quickly and correctly because they have the specialized knowledge to do the work.  Would I have to pay them for their labor?  Of course, but it's worth it to me because the job would be done right, I would have those hours and hours of free time back, and I wouldn't have the worry that I made a mistake that would burn down the house.  That's the same thing with lawyers.  There are some things the average citizen can do on their own, and when they can, I tell them so.  There are some things, clients can do with a little guidance, and I help them with that too.  There are, however, some things that clients should not do on their own.  Sure, if they spent enough time studying and reading the rules and all of the cases, they could possibly handle their own legal matter.  People do it all the time.  The problem is that they usually don't do it well, and if they do it well, it's because it has become their entire existence.  The entire time, they are wondering if there's something they missed.  Plus, the emotions get in the way.  Lawyers are trained to handle legal problems.  That's how their minds work, and they are used to working with rules, facts, cases and deadlines to resolve legal disputes.  They do it faster and better than the ordinary citizen, they don't have the emotion bogging them down, and they do it right.  How much is your time and money worth? How about the course of the rest of your life?  Yes, legal work can be expensive in the short haul, but done right, it's priceless.  Here in the Trenches.