Not always. Your lawyer should never pressure you to accept a settlement award regardless of the value. Whether to proceed to trial is always the client’s decision. However, if your lawyer seems to want you to accept the settlement, it could be a sign that your lawyer is not prepared for trial. In this case, you may want to explore other options—in other words, you may want to get a second opinion from an experienced lawyer who can help with your case, rather than trusting your lawyer with trial preparation.