If your goal is to become a lawyer and earn a comfortable income, your choice of law must take your financial situation into consideration. Firm size and location will have an effect on what amount you earn as well.

Top-paying lawyers tend to specialize in areas like corporate law, tax law and intellectual property law due to their complexity, demand and financial implications.

Corporate Lawyers

Corporate lawyers serve as the protectors of business legality. From providing advice to multi-billion pound acquisitions by global finance giants to SME fintech startups negotiating contract negotiations, corporate lawyers ensure businesses comply with laws and regulations; their duties can range from mergers and acquisitions, company structure and governance advice and intellectual property matters.

They specialize in regulatory compliance and filing for companies, working closely with governments to meet specific deadlines or help avoid fines associated with noncompliance.

Family law attorneys often deal with the most sensitive and emotionally charged cases in the legal system. They assist clients during divorce negotiations, custody arrangements and advocacy for alimony/child support agreements – these professionals may earn up to $130,000 annually depending on their expertise level.

Tax Lawyers

Tax attorneys provide corporate and wealthy individuals with assistance to remain compliant with complex regulations, which can lead to severe penalties when out-of-compliance occurs.

Lawyers who specialize in tax law must possess an in-depth knowledge of both federal and state legislation, while also staying abreast of changing tax policies.

Searching for a good tax attorney requires doing your own research as well as listening to recommendations. Take time to visit their website, read online reviews from clients and avoid attorneys that require large retainers upfront – this will enable you to plan expenses more easily and save costs by hiring smaller firms.

Intellectual Property Lawyers

Intellectual property law firms are in high demand. From patent, copyright, or trademark infringement cases to contractual disputes relating to these matters, these law firms often become the go-to option for clients.

Lawyers assist their clients to protect their creative endeavors by registering patents for inventions; acquiring copyrights for music videos and software products; or securing trademarks for names, logos, symbols images or products.

Intellectual property lawyers require a solid educational background. While earning a bachelor’s degree isn’t essential, taking a course that fits with your career goals would be wiser. Furthermore, you should seek hands-on experiences such as part-time jobs, internships or volunteer roles which introduce them to intellectual property law practice can also provide invaluable training.

Real Estate Lawyers

Real estate attorneys tend to earn competitive pay in Tier 1 cities. They may work for real estate agencies or as independent commercial property lawyers handling contracts, permissions & licenses and disputes arising out of commercial properties. Furthermore, they can act as legal consultants within large law firms or take on positions at real estate development and investment companies as in-house legal consultants.

New York City real estate attorney fees can differ widely and typically depend on the closing process. Some attorneys charge by transaction while others may bill by hourly. Some top real estate lawyers can make around $1,000 an hour; TRD was able to identify several of them such as Allen & Overy attorneys Kevin O’Shea and Adam Leitman Bailey making this much.

Immigration Lawyers

Immigration attorneys provide invaluable assistance for individuals and businesses when applying for visas and citizenship in the US. Working closely together, these legal specialists help people reach their goal of starting new lives here in America.

Entry-level immigration attorneys typically earn around $57,000 annually. This represents a healthy starting wage for recent law school graduates; over time they can increase their earnings with practical experience and specialization efforts.

Firms such as Kramer Levin offer comprehensive legal services for corporate counsel, immigration and labor and employment matters. They assist clients in all aspects of business immigration including optimizing global workforce mobility strategies and providing advice regarding exceptional ability visas.

Immigration attorneys can increase their profitability by using tools like Docketwise to streamline case management. By automating administrative tasks and billing procedures, this tool enables immigration lawyers to focus more of their energy and efforts on high-value cases and increase profitability.