Lawyers
often rank with politicians and used-car salesman in popular opinion. Although it might be easy to conclude from this that the legal profession is inherently bad, nothing could be farther from the truth. Most lawyers come to their profession motivated by a desire to practice the law honestly, faithfully and with integrity.
In addition, strict rules of conduct are in place that lawyers have to abide by in order to be licensed by the bar association, and obtaining that license in the first place is no easy task. Lawyers have to know the law, abide by the law, and act on behalf of their clients in a way that adheres to principle of ethics and justice.
A position of power
However, a lawyer is someone that often has a lot of power in terms of their knowledge of the legal system, as well as their ability to earn high feels. As with any position of power, such as a politician, chief executive officer, or even police officer, the possibility of corruption is always present. Some real-world examples are proof of this.
A real-estate lawyer in Mississauga, Ont., is alleged to have run off to another country with over $3 million in mortgage funds obtained from clients. Another lawyer in Toronto was disbarred as a result of stealing almost half a million dollars from clients. Within a 10-year period, more than 200 lawyers in Ontario were found to have engage in criminal-like activity.
Nevertheless, that’s 200 lawyers out of tens of thousands. And there are rules and sanctions in place to deal with them. In addition, there are measures any person can take to ensure that his or her lawyer is an honest one.
Talk with your lawyer
Perhaps most importantly, clients or prospective clients of lawyers should not be afraid to engage in a dialogue. Although an intimidation factor can exist in which clients feel they must submit to whatever their lawyers say, that certainly doesn’t have to be the case. After all, the lawyer is working for the client, not the other way around.
So, when seeking a lawyer, ask them questions. What is their specialty? Is it real-estate law? How many years have they been practicing? What is their track-record? Similarly, once hired, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Communication is a key factor in ensuring the integrity and honesty of your lawyer.
If you need a professional advice on family law, or if you’re thinking of divorce, please phone us here at Hosseini Law Firm (HLF) for a 15 minute free consultation: 416-628-4635, or please use the contact form provided on this page. Thank you.
