Legal research can be time consuming. Many local laws, national laws, Supreme Court and lower court decisions, executive decisions and even international laws may have a bearing on a particular case.
To begin, you will need a software program that helps simplify this otherwise complex task. LexisNexis Canada offers programs that will suit your needs of all sizes. Legal research programs make it easy for you to find applicable laws, court decisions and other important information.
As a legal researcher, you will need to ask the same questions a journalist asks when faced with a story. The questions of who, what, where, when, why and how must be answered regardless of the type of case you are preparing. Make sure your research provides a clear, factual answer to all these questions.
Be sure to take into account the groups that make new laws and amend existing ones. More than one of these three branches (the legislature, courts and executive branch) may have a saying on the topic in question. Be thorough in your research to ensure that pertinent information is not overlooked.
In some cases, you will also have to do a legal accounting research to determine the monetary profit or loss that came about because of an individual’s or company’s actions or lack of action. Be sure you have all necessary documents, verify their authenticity and then examine them carefully.
Doing legal research and/or legal accounting research is far from easy; however, it is an important part of preparing for any type of case.