Just like other Scandinavian countries, Sweden is generally a peaceful country with few cases of crimes. However, this is not to mean that you will not be in need of legal services. On a day tod ay basis, people living in Sweden will require different types of legal services including family issues, immigration, business, financial or even criminal.
Even though the Swedish law protects all forms of human rights to ensure the highest level of justice, some occurrences may still need legal interventions and interpretations. Lawyers will help you understand the merits of your case, draft legal papers and represent you in a court of law.
When do you Need a lawyer in Sweden?
The mention that knowing a lawyer in Sweden is important may give a false impression that the country is prone to violation of the law; far from it. Legal services is not indicative of crime only but any situation that require application of the law.
As an immigrant, it is not possible that you know everything about the legal environment in Sweden. Probably you want to start up a new business, apply for a new status in the country, address issues about taxes, labour issues, human rights violations or any issues that can only be best solved by a legal expert.
A legal aid in Sweden will not necessarily guarantee that you will win a case but ensures that everything you do to defend your rights or that of your firm is consistent with the established rules. He or she will zoom into the merits of your case, pan over the existing legal protections and identify key points of law and protections that can be used to defend you.
Civil, commercial or criminal cases all rely on proper documentation of issues before a court of law. The court will always make decisions based on the materials and evidence presented before it. As a layman, you do not have enough expertise to know what extra thing to add to beef up your case. Again, you badly need that extra thing, even if small, that will give you a chance of winning.
Reputable law firms in Sweden
Legal services may be very costly. In fact, anyone will tell you to do all within your capacity to avoid getting into murky environments that will force you to turn towards lawyers for reprieve. But however much you may be cautious, sometimes troubles just come uninvited and you need to face them head on.
You do not want to just hire any lawyer or involve a law firms with no track record to show for their work. As a matter of fact, it is the lawyer who you will have to tell all your secrets, including those that may be incriminating. He will have to find a way of using your information to protect you. This should not just be anybody you meet along the streets flashing title of being a lawyer. He must be erudite, adequately grounded in practice and with a convincing acumen to win a case.
As much as practitioners in Sweden all meet at least the bare minimum requirements to practice law, some have more experience with cases than the others. Again, some law firms and lawyers are always so compassionate about the plight of their clients that they go all out of their way, including offering extra free services just to make sure they win. When you resort to seek legal services, all you need in nothing short of a win, choosing the right lawyer or law firm is a first step towards winning a case.
Bearing the title of a lawyer or law firm does not imply that they can solve all your problems. Every lawyer has a particular field where they are good at. In fact, a good lawyer will forthrightly tell you if your case is not within their specializations.
First, identify whether your case falls within administrative, agricultural, commercial, civil, corporate or which areas of law. This will help you identify which lawyer or firm is likely to deliver a win for you. In Sweden, lawyers have the specific fields they focus on. Check out the various law practice areas and firms around Sweden.
Cost of Legal Services in Sweden
Getting legal services in Sweden comes with a hefty cost burden. Unless the case is humanitarian and the applicant is the stet, you have to meet your legal costs from the pocket. No wonder some people or entities have insurance for legal costs. If the state sues you in a case such immigration, automatically you will be granted a counsel to represent you.
Other cases that are not humanitarian will come with costs of different nature. Therefore, before you decide to seek legal services, it is always important to try out of the court agreements or alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that may not be necessarily as costly.
In Sweden, you will have to pay the costs to the lawyer as well as other fixed costs to the court which depends on which category your case falls-whether it is civil, criminal or any in between.
The fees that legal professionals charge in Sweden is not regulated whatsoever, This means that it is completely upon you and the lawyer to negotiate on how much you are ready to pay. Only in cases where a legal aid is granted by the state that they apply an hourly fee rate. The hourly fees rate was SEK 1 205 exclusive of VAT ( in 2012 but is subject to changes.
Since the legal charges in Sweden are not regulated, you have to really bargain and ensure that the layer or law firm you eventually settle on will really deliver worth of their bargain.
Who pays your legal Services in Sweden?
Typically, the state will pay the lawyer or firm that represents an entity if that is granted. Otherwise, the litigant or respondent in cases filed in Swedish courts must pay all the costs accruing from proceedings from their own pockets.
In general, you have to be aware of who will pay your legal fees before choosing to approach a lawyer. Anyway, diligent lawyers will take their time to explain to you who will pay the fees and what costs may be passed to you before they can wholly immerse themselves in your case properly.