When to hire a lawyer vs handle the claim yourself

After going through several claims (some with attorneys, some without), heres my honest take on when to lawyer up:

Handle it yourself:
- Simple claims under $10,000
- Insurance accepted your claim and youre just negotiating the amount
- Minor auto claims where fault is clear
- Glass, small theft, straightforward water damage

Get an attorney:
- Any claim denied for suspicious reasons
- Bodily injury claims (always)
- Claims over $25,000 where insurance is lowballing significantly
- Bad faith situations (unreasonable delays, ghosting, changing reasons for denial)
- Workers comp denials
- Life insurance or disability denials

Most insurance attorneys do free consultations. It costs nothing to ask and could save you thousands.