In the fight for your child’s special education, there may be issues along the way. While special education was designed to meet children’s unique learning needs, there are many times when a certain teacher or the school board cause more harm than good. In these cases, you as the parent need to step in and be your child’s advocate. You may even consider hiring a special needs attorney. While a special needs attorney can help tremendously, there are also times when you may not want to hire an attorney.
If the case is simple enough, you may be able to fight it on your own. A simple case may not even have to progress to the court level. Presenting your case to the school board can lead to an informal resolution. If the case does need to be escalated to the next level, you may still be able to fight it on your own.
Another reason you may not want to hire a special needs attorney is because they can be expensive. There are many attorneys that work for the public sector, meaning they charge nothing or very little for their work. However, if those attorneys are not to your liking or not available in your area, you may have to hire an attorney from a private practice. Depending on the complexity of your case and your budget, hiring an attorney may cause you more trouble than it is worth.
Also be aware that hiring an attorney to help you and your child can cause grief between you and the school board or school district. It is unfortunate that people will act this way. If you do not want to stir too much trouble with the school district, it is best to try and resolve the issue on your own. However, if the school district is not listening or responding to your case, chances are there is strife between your relationship anyways and an attorney can help resolve the issue.
Even if you decide not to hire an attorney to represent you, you can still consult with one for legal advice. A special needs attorney will help you see if your case is a worthy one and provide valuable advice on how to approach the school board to resolve the issue. An attorney is also a great person to have on call to view any legal paperwork, especially before you sign it. Whether you need a special needs attorney or not, it is always good to know which attorney you can call and hire if the situation comes.
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