support / counsel
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support
Support, help, or comfort that one gives to a person in a difficult situation or emergency.
In dieser schweren Zeit leisteten ihm seine Freunde moralischen Beistand.
During this difficult time, his friends gave him moral support.
legal counsel
A person who advises and represents someone legally, especially in court. A synonym for legal adviser or lawyer.
Der Angeklagte erschien mit seinem juristischen Beistand vor Gericht.
The defendant appeared in court with his legal counsel.
The word is made up of 'bei' (by, beside) and 'Stand' (from 'stehen', to stand). It literally describes the act of 'standing by someone's side' in a difficult situation.
Danke, dass du mir in dieser schweren Zeit beigestanden hast.
Thank you for standing by me during this difficult time.
You can recognize the meaning from the context. 'Beistand' (support) as abstract help is uncountable and is often used with adjectives like 'moralisch' (moral) or 'psychologisch' (psychological). 'Beistand' (counsel) as a person is countable and is usually specified with 'juristisch' (legal) or 'rechtlich' (legal).
Sie bot ihrer Freundin nach der Trennung emotionalen Beistand.
She offered her friend emotional support after the breakup.
When expressing who is being helped, that person or group is in the dative. The most common construction is 'jemandem (Dativ) Beistand leisten' (to give someone support).
Die Nachbarn leisteten der Familie nach dem Brand sofort Beistand.
The neighbors immediately gave the family support after the fire.
In the legal meaning as a person, 'Beistand' (counsel) is almost always combined with an adjective. Typical phrases are 'juristischer Beistand' (legal counsel), 'rechtlicher Beistand' (legal counsel), or 'anwaltlicher Beistand' (attorney counsel).
Minderjährige benötigen vor Gericht einen gesetzlichen Beistand.
Minors need a legal guardian in court.
help
Hilfe is any kind of support and can also be very practical. Beistand refers especially to personal support or comfort in a difficult situation. When someone is carrying out a task, Hilfe is usually the better choice; when accompanying someone through a crisis, Beistand is more appropriate.
Nach dem Unwetter brauchte sie den Beistand ihrer Familie, um mit dem Verlust umzugehen.
After the storm, she needed her family's support to cope with the loss.
Nach dem Unwetter brauchte sie Hilfe beim Aufräumen ihrer Wohnung.
After the storm, she needed help cleaning up her apartment.
