I went back to university to study law part-time (night school along with lots of ex-police, PIs, etc). Although I dropped out, I gained a basic understanding by following the law school's curriculum. The most valuable thing I learnt was that even if I had completed the course and got admitted to the bar, I would have only ended up on the first rung of the ladder to being accomplished in whatever area of law I chose to specialize in.

If large sums of money and/or potential professional liabilities are involved, then cheapest long-term approach is to hire a competent licensed lawyer.