Different types of Lawyers in Nigeria about:reader?url=https://lawpadi.com/different-types-of-lawyers...

lawpadi.com

Different types of Lawyers in

Nigeria
by Admin
7-8 minutes

Posted at 10:18h in General 0 Comments

Different types of Lawyers

There are different types of lawyers in Nigeria, and the

practice of law is a very big field in Nigeria. The first point to
start with is that when a lawyer gets qualified to practice law in
Nigeria, there are no restrictions on what area of law he/she
can practice in. So a lawyers in Nigeria can pick and choose
whatever area he/she wants to operate in.

However, there has been a recent trend of lawyers in Nigeria

deciding to specialize in certain areas of law. This is a very
good thing because one of the many benefits of specialization
is the fact that it leads to greater expertise.

Below are a few of the areas of laws which the different types
of lawyers in Nigeria have begun to specialize in:

Debt recovery

1 of 6 12/4/18, 1:57 PM
Different types of Lawyers in Nigeria about:reader?url=https://lawpadi.com/different-types-of-lawyers...

This is mainly with respect to banking debts. Banks engage

the services of this type of lawyers to recover money owed by
bad debtors. The lawyers normally get their fees as a
contingency on the money that they are able to recover from
the debtor.

Corporate Lawyer

This type of lawyer deals with company incorporation and

regulatory issues, and also primarily focuses on obtaining
permits, licence, registrations etc from Government agencies
and tax authorities, and ensuring that all the legally mandated
requirements for operation of business of the client are met.

Criminal Defence Lawyers

For the first couple of years when a Nigerian lawyer is called

to the bar, he/she is likely to get loads of comments by friends
and well wishers saying ‘now that you are a lawyer I can go
and look for trouble in town, and if they arrest me I will call
you’. These people obviously don’t know much about the
different types of lawyers that exist. This over-simplification of
the role of lawyers as only limited to criminal issues, is largely
because that is the impression which the media gives. In
reality only a minority of lawyers ever get to deal with criminal
matters in court, it is a very interesting and draining specialty
as the lawyer is essentially responsible for ensuring the
freedom of the client. It is an area of law that is not for the
faint-hearted.

Transactional Lawyers

2 of 6 12/4/18, 1:57 PM
Different types of Lawyers in Nigeria about:reader?url=https://lawpadi.com/different-types-of-lawyers...

Lawyers in Nigeria who specialize in this are normally work for

the big commercial law firms, they deal in things like Project
finance, Public Private Partnerships, Mergers and
Acquisitions, etc. They work mainly with other international law
firms in these high value transactions. It is a very lucrative
area for these types of lawyers, but also very difficult to break
into as the nature of clients are massive conglomerates and
international banks and investment banks.

Property

Every Nigerian Lawyer is always open to this type of law,

really because it is mainly straightforward, and lawyers are
necessary for property transactions. Any transaction, which
involves the transfer of an interest in land/property, needs a
lawyer. Lawyers mainly charge for their fees as a percentage
of the value of the transaction. A big land transaction is the
proverbial ‘Golden Fleece‘ for these types of lawyers. Even
though there are different types of lawyers, this is one
underlying area which lawyers are interested in getting
involved in.

Immigration

A growing number of lawyers in Nigeria are beginning to

specialize in Immigration law. The bread and butter of this is
making applications to the Nigeria Immigration Service for
work permits and visas for employees of multinational
companies. It is really an administrative process, however, it
can be painstaking and time consuming for lawyers not

3 of 6 12/4/18, 1:57 PM
Different types of Lawyers in Nigeria about:reader?url=https://lawpadi.com/different-types-of-lawyers...

familiar with the inner workings of the Immigration service. A

subsection of lawyers who practice immigration law also is
dealing with Immigration issues of other countries, for example
they deal with appeals and judicial reviews when clients visa
applications are rejected.

Divorce

A worrying high number of marriages in Nigeria are being

dissolved, and this area of law is a pretty lucrative one. The
divorce lawyers in Nigeria typically prepares all the necessary
court papers detailing the grounds for divorce, makes the
necessary court appearances, and represents the client’s
interests in any divorce negotiations or settlement discussions.

Employment

Lawyers in Nigeria specializing in labour and employment law

deal with things like non-payment of salaries, unfair dismissal,
and harassment at the work place etc. The National Industrial
Court has special jurisdiction for employment related matters,
so lawyers focusing on this field are well versed in it’s
practices.

Public Interest

When people think about public interest law, one name above
all springs to mind- Chief Gani Fawehinmi SAN, he was the
soul of public interest litigation for many years, and he made a
name for himself lending his skills to public interest matters.
Public Interest litigation encompasses those areas of law,

4 of 6 12/4/18, 1:57 PM
Different types of Lawyers in Nigeria about:reader?url=https://lawpadi.com/different-types-of-lawyers...

which as the name implies, are in the interest of the general

public. It is not a very lucrative area of law (and is also a
potentially very dangerous area of law), and that is probably
why increasingly not many people are deciding to specialize in
it. It includes things like human rights, civil rights, and
challenging government illegality.

Dispute Resolution

This is the broad area for all things that involved disputes and
potentially end up in court or in arbitration. Lawyers who wish
to operate in this area and excel must be good orators, and
very knowledgeable about the rules of court. This is the typical
wig and gown lawyer, and the role involves primarily drafting
court pleadings and processes, and making court
appearances on behalf of clients.

Some other areas of law which the different types of lawyers in

Nigeria  are increasing specializing in include – Intellectual
Property and Technology matters, Estate and Probate matters,
and Media and Entertainment matters.

Thank you for reading this post, if you have found it useful
please share with your network using one of the share buttons
below. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please send
us an email at contact@lawpadi.com

We hope you have found this information helpful. Please

note that this information is provided for general
informational purposes only and is not intended to be
legal advice. No lawyer-client relationship is formed nor

5 of 6 12/4/18, 1:57 PM
Different types of Lawyers in Nigeria about:reader?url=https://lawpadi.com/different-types-of-lawyers...

should any such relationship be implied. This answer is

not intended to substitute for the advice of a qualified
lawyer. If you require legal advice, please consult with a
qualified lawyer. If you would like to find out more about a
consultation with one of the lawyers in our network
regarding a legal issue you are experiencing, you can use
the free tool below to get an estimate.

6 of 6 12/4/18, 1:57 PM