Multi-million dollar companies may have a team of lawyers ready day and night, but for a small business even hiring a single lawyer can feel like a huge obstacle. While there are many resources available to help you through the process, it’s impossible to accurately predict the results of those actions until they happen. That said, experience can help with a number of things, as well as a lawyer with a good traditional or even an online law degree.
If you’re trying to find a good lawyer, follow these tips.
Look For A Lawyer That Wants To Understand Your Business
Don’t call a random lawyer and hope for the best. That’s the best way to find the wrong lawyer! Spend time to research the various options. You’ll want to ensure the lawyer you hire has a solid grasp of the law surrounding your company. You’ll also want to find a lawyer that specializes in small businesses. There’s a pretty big difference in how the law treats one versus the other.
Listen and Consult
When you talk to a lawyer, don’t withhold information. It’s easy to accidentally rattle off information that’s unimportant while forgetting things that are. You’re not a lawyer, and you’ve been dealing with the situation for a while. There’s a number of lawyers who will even offer a free consultation. You can use this consultation to go over the more general details and get feedback on what specific information is needed.
If you’re not even sure where to start with the general information, this may also be a good time to ask. As an example, you may know you have an issue with intellectual property. However, you may not know whether it’s a copyright issue or a trademark issue. You may even be looking to form a business and need help with the various contracts to make it legal. The majority of a lawyer’s job is to help people discover what support structures they need and decide how to move forward, so listen.
Consider The Value
Lawyers tend to have an hourly rate. Some are more expensive than others, but in a general sense, the higher-priced lawyers are better lawyers. That’s not true in every industry, but with attorneys higher cost really is a representation of higher quality. However, sometimes a less experienced lawyer may end up being a better choice even though you can afford a better one. If your personality clashes with your attorney’s personality, it doesn’t matter how good of a lawyer they are! This is why you have to consider the value more than the cost of a lawyer. You’ll generally get a better value out of a more expensive lawyer, but that won’t always be true. By taking the time to research, you’ll have a much better chance of finding the right lawyer for you. It may seem tedious, but at the end of the day, you’ll be happy you did.
These tips will help you choose a lawyer for your business and solve any issue you may face.
