3 Reasons Your Business Needs a Law Firm Now
If you don’t have an in-house legal team for your business, the time to find an attorney who can be your legal partner is now. As you review your already-busy schedule, you may be wondering why it is worth the time and effort to find a trusted lawyer to be your go-to legal counsel. After all, you’re not facing any trouble, your business is operating as usual, and you feel fairly confident you have a handle on the basics.
Securing the right attorney before you need one will ultimately save you money, prevent legal problems, and provide you with reassurance and representation in the case of an urgent situation. In short, your business needs a law firm. If you still aren’t convinced, read on.
Working with an attorney or firm who is already familiar with your business will save you in legal fees.
A pre-existing relationship with a firm gives you the ability to pick up the phone or shoot an email to someone who is already familiar with your business. An attorney who knows you will be able to efficiently address your question or provide advice that makes sense for your particular situation.
On the other hand, if you wait until you have a question to look for an attorney, you will have to spend your time and effort finding, calling, and screening law firms. Some firms may not have time for your question or may charge a large initial retainer when you really only need five minutes of their time. You may not find an available attorney whose style or approach blends well with your own. Finally, your company will be unfamiliar with the firm, so the attorney will spend additional time just learning the basics of what you do and how you operate.
An attorney who knows you and your business will be able to help you identify issues before they turn into problems.
Entrepreneurs and mid-sized business managers are extremely busy. Many times, this means you haven’t been able to keep up with changes in state or federal laws. It could also mean issues that could be easily spotted, given enough time to examine or space to gain perspective, may go unnoticed. A skilled business attorney, trained to spot potential concerns and who is up-to-date on issues faced by businesses like yours, is your best bet to help ward off major legal problems that can cripple business operations, increase expenses, and grind the gears of production to a halt.
The laws surrounding employment discrimination, wage and hour issues, independent contractors, and overtime exemption are changing rapidly, and you may not even realize you have a legal vulnerability. You don’t want to find out about a problem by being served with a lawsuit. In almost every case, issues could have been identified and corrected before they became pervasive and before damage was done. A lawyer who is familiar with your business and who is dedicated to checking in to perform regular audits can catch these problems before they result in lawsuits.
When the worst does happen, you don’t waste any time figuring out who is best qualified to represent you in a legal battle.
For many small businesses, a lawsuit could be damaging enough to shut down operations. That alone is intimidating, but not knowing what to do next when faced with the unfamiliar is paralyzing. Just as you call emergency personnel at the signs of a fire or when a medical situation arises, you need to quickly know exactly who to call to help you with a legal matter.
Responding to a lawsuit is often time-sensitive, and sometimes, the actions you take after you’ve been served could impact the outcome of the case. You need an experienced advisor to guide you through your next steps and give you the ability to stay focused on your business while your legal matter is handled by a professional. The last thing you want to do in an urgent situation is scroll through endless online reviews, read articles or case results, or set appointments to interview various firms. You need to have a trusted legal partner one call away – one who will respond with the same urgency you feel as you face unfamiliar territory.
There are many factors to consider when hiring an attorney or firm. One of the primary reasons our clients tell us we got the job is because of our responsiveness. If that’s something that’s also important to you, we’d love to talk. You can see other feedback from our clients here.