Legal Life Skills

Steps to building legal capability

Legal skills

Last Reviewed:

June, 2025

Reviewed By:

JES Legal Specialist

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BIG IDEA

When you understand the law and know how to handle legal issues, you can make better decisions, avoid trouble, and resolve problems more easily.

Step 1: Start early

Recognize when you could have a legal issue and take steps to resolve it right away. What communications would improve the situation? Legal issues are simpler, cheaper and less stressful when dealt with early.

Step 2: Do your research

Look for reliable, relevant, and up-to-date information and legal help from expert sources. What are your rights and responsibilities? Does the law support your desired outcome? What are the dispute resolution options? Are there any mandatory processes or deadlines?

Step 3: Consider your options

Identify what you really want. What outcome would make you feel satisfied? Assess different ways to deal with an issue and the potential benefits and drawbacks of each. Take into consideration the cost, time, and skill required for each option. Know that there are a range of free and low-cost legal help options, in addition to hiring a lawyer, to help you throughout.

Step 4: Build your case

What do you want? What are your legal reasons? What do you need to prove? How are you going to prove it? Gather evidence. Keep and organize important documents, get communications in writing, keep a record of important dates, take pictures and video, keep receipts.

Step 5: Work it out

Many issues can be resolved without involving a formal process. Try working out a solution that is reasonable for everyone. There are services that can help you come to an agreement. If you can’t, consider using the formal disputes resolution processes available.

Step 6: You can do this!

Resolving legal issues takes time and may be frustrating, but you can do it! It’s normal to take more than one attempt to work out a problem. Be sure to take care of yourself and reach out for help when you need it.