What do you love about owning your own business? Most likely, you enjoy selling something or providing a service that other people need or enjoy. But, who do you turn to when you need help with your business, and you don’t know the answer?
Business lawyers are there for you and other business owners when it comes to business legal matters. They assist with starting a business, writing contracts, contract disputes, and many other areas. If you encounter an issue with your business, you should contact a business sooner than later.
Choosing business lawyers can seem daunting, but we are here to help. Here are some things to consider when considering options for lawyers.
1. Integrity
When you select a lawyer, they represent you and your business. This means that you’ll want that person to have upstanding character. Lawyers need to be tough in some circumstances, along with stalwart.
What you don’t want is someone who will go to any lengths to resolve an issue in your favor. Once they have moved on, you are left to pick up the pieces of yours and your business’ shattered reputations.
A good way to root out the bad ones is to look at lawyer references and reviews. Many different sites offer reviews for lawyers and law firms. You should also cross-check those reviews with at least two other websites to get a complete picture of a lawyer.
If a lawyer is accused of shady behavior multiple times, they will do it again.
2. Consider Legal Experience When Choosing Business Lawyers
Integrity aside, the best way to choose a competent lawyer is to take their legal experience into account. You’ll want to verify that the lawyer you want to hire has experience with the issue you have. Talk to your lawyer and ask them questions to get a thorough understanding of their experience.
You should also see if they have other areas of expertise related to business law. It can be good to have some to call who is already familiar with your business if other problems arise.
Look at the track record of their cases and see how successful they are at resolving issues for their clients in their favor. This can help give you confidence in your lawyer’s ability. You should also consider the number of cases your lawyer has handled.
A lawyer who has been practicing for years will have more wisdom than a lawyer with less time on the job. This shouldn’t be the most important thing you consider, however. Lawyers who have a high success rate with their cases have a lot of wisdom to offer.
3. Experience as a Business Owner
Business lawyers have experience dealing with the legal aspects of business, but many do not have experience as business owners. They can understand, but it can be more difficult without firsthand experience.
When you are dealing with a large law firm, most of the lawyers at the firm will work for the partners. At a small law firm, however, the lawyer that handles your case might be a partner. This means that they will have the legal experience you need and share your business experience.
Business experience isn’t necessary for business lawyers to be effective. However, that experience can help them better understand the issues that you have.
4. Effective Communicator
Aside from knowledge of the law, one of the most important skills a good lawyer should possess is good communication skills. A lawyer’s job is to communicate with opposing counsel, the judges that preside over their cases, and juries. Your lawyer also needs to be good at explaining things to you.
Legal matters are difficult to understand, and your lawyer should communicate this in a way you understand. A good attorney should anticipate your questions and notify you about developments without you asking.
Not only does an attorney need to know how to communicate, but also the best communication method. Some matters may only warrant an email, but others may dictate an in-person meeting. Your attorney needs to read the situation and respond as appropriate.
5. Billing Structure
Legal services can cost a lot, especially if it takes your attorney a lot of time to address your issue. Hourly billing will cost you more if your problem only requires a few hours of a lawyer’s time.
Talk to your lawyer about the fee structures they have available. Find a lawyer with a fee structure that fits your needs at the time. You should also inquire if the fee structure can be adjusted if your needs change in the future.
6. Get a Local Attorney
Business laws will vary between states. Some districts in a state may have unique business laws that are different from others across the state. This is why you need someone familiar with the business laws in your area.
It isn’t impossible for lawyers not from your area to help you. However, they will need to familiarize themselves with local business laws. Much of their time will be spent trying to understand local regulations instead of playing an active role in assisting you.
7. Relatability and Transparency
An important element of a successful attorney/client relationship is the attorney’s ability to be relatable and transparent. As a client, you need to be able to get along with your attorney. Good rapport is important between an attorney and their client, especially when difficult subjects arise.
A good relationship will make it much easier to discuss these matters.
Your attorney should also communicate with you when the need arises to ensure you stay on top of matters concerning your business. The more comfortable the two of you are communicating with each other, you’ll both be able to tackle issues better when they come up.
Your Greenville Attorneys
Your care a great deal for your business, and when choosing business lawyers, we know you’re looking for someone who will do the same.
A good attorney should be open, reliable, honest, and an effective communicator. You will also need someone with plenty of experience; if they are a partner at their firm, they can also relate to you as a business owner. Find a business attorney in your district who is familiar with local business laws.
If you are in the Greenville area, De Bruin Law Firm has attorneys who can help with the legal matters of your business. We also have attorneys who specialize in real estate law, criminal defense, and estate planning. If you need legal help, schedule a consultation so we can assist you.
