if people have any problem regarding the law, they can contact a lawyer for advice. a legal problem is referred to as a case. a person can hire a lawyer to start a case against someone else, or to help with a case that has been started against them. if the case goes to court, the lawyer will represent their client in court. the lawyer will use their knowledge of the law to convince the court that the client is on the right side of the argument. lawyers also help people "settle out of court," which means that both sides of the argument agree to resolve the dispute ahead of time so that they will not have to go to trial.