Medical lawyers are among the highest earners in the legal field. Many people assume that corporate lawyers are the most well-paid, but this is not always the case. While a corporate lawyer's salary can be in the millions, personal injury lawyers, criminal attorneys, and lawyers in other areas of law can also make a substantial amount of money. For instance, a personal injury lawyer may earn more than a lawyer who works in the oil industry.
It depends on all the factors that affect a lawyer's salary how much they can make. Lawyers who work for companies can make millions of dollars as general counsel. In corporate law, a corporation's general counsel is responsible for everything from contracts and labor law to corporate structure, intellectual law, and litigation. In many cases, a general counsel supervises other attorneys and an outside attorney.
Lawyers who practice criminal law represent people who are being investigated for a crime or have been arrested for a crime. There is room for a huge difference in salaries depending on the type of criminal cases the lawyer handles. For example, a lawyer who deals with murder cases is likely to earn more than a lawyer who deals with petty theft and traffic tickets. Personal injury covers a wide variety of cases, including any case involving someone injured due to the negligence, mistakes, or wrongdoing of another party.
It also covers cases in which another person unjustly kills another person. A personal injury lawyer's salary is often based on the amount of money they recover for the victim of an accident. Most personal injury lawyers accept cases with contingency fees, meaning they are paid a percentage of the amount they recover for their clients. Lawyers who deal with bankruptcy matters help individuals and businesses apply for bankruptcy aid and work with creditors to file claims in bankruptcy cases.
Because bankruptcy law is a specialized area of law, bankruptcy attorneys who work with large Chapter 11 corporate cases can earn high salaries. However, bankruptcy lawyers who work with average people who need bankruptcy assistance typically earn an income within the average range of most lawyers. Family law is another area of law that is in high demand. It covers all issues related to divorce, including custody, child support, division of property, and domestic support. Family law also includes martial agreements and issues of paternity.
As in other areas of law, many family lawyers can earn within the average wage range. Attorneys who deal with high-estate divorces or high-profile cases can earn much higher salaries. Trial lawyers are among the highest-paid legal professionals in the world. Thousands of people practice around the world, but civil litigants who handle expensive, high-profile, high-risk cases are the best compensated. Lawyers who choose to practice in areas of law that require specialized knowledge of specific laws may earn more than lawyers who practice in other areas of law. These lawyers act as advisors to a corporation on a variety of issues such as collecting and analyzing evidence for legal proceedings, formulating contracts, advising companies on their legal rights and obligations in business transactions, and providing advice on tax-related issues. Tax attorneys act as representatives of a company, organization, or individual when dealing with federal, state, and local tax agencies.
Large firms can handle many different types of cases but individual attorneys specialize within the firm. Patent lawyers are tasked with evaluating and analyzing whether an invention is eligible for a patent or not. Real estate transactions require complex legal documents so most real estate lawyers spend significant amounts of time in an office reviewing and drafting contracts and other documents as well as preparing inquiries for their clients. Real estate lawyers review offers and contracts to ensure that both buyers and sellers get fair deals. Anyone considering a career as a lawyer can review government statistics on the salaries of lawyers including those practicing in specific areas. Attorneys who specialize in particular approaches such as offshore injuries aviation accidents pedestrian accidents child-related injury claims commercial accidents and eighteen-wheeled vehicles typically earn higher-than-average salaries along with lawyers who focus more of their practice on specific complex injuries.
