when to hire a business lawyer

^{Here are some common situations when you might need help with your legal needs:}

• Choosing a legal business entity: Choosing a business entity affects the future of your company’s growth. ...
• Raising money: When raising venture capital and selling equity to investors, it’s a good idea to have a lawyer who can help you navigate the legal side of the situation.
• Drafting founder agreements: In the case that you have partners in your business, then writing out the roles and responsibilities of each partner right at the beginning can keep disagreements ...
• Contract review: A lawyer can help you in drafting and negotiating contracts.
• Handling employment issues: As a business increases its workforce, a business attorney can help keep up with labor laws and lawsuits.
Obtaining IP protection: Businesses in tech, health, or research fields often require trademarks and patents and finding a good trademark lawyer can help benefit the business’s future.
Sale/Acquisition: A Business attorney would protect your interests in negotiating for the sale or your company or for the acquisition of another company or its assets.

What you should consider when hiring a lawyer?

Why you should consider hiring a car accident attorney

• The importance of hiring a car accident attorney. Keep in mind that a car accident can leave you with some injuries that need medical attention.
• Investigate the accident. Sometimes, car accidents can be simple, but others can be complex and you need to investigate to determine who caused it.
• They can handle the claim process. ...

When do you legally need to hire an attorney?

When You Legally Need to Hire an Attorney

• Representing a Company. Many states, such as New Jersey and New York, require that companies can only sue, be sued, or make appearances in court through counsel.
• Contractual Provisions. ...
• Recovering Attorneys’ Fees. ...
• Suing on Behalf of Someone Else. ...

What to consider when hiring a lawyer?

Consider the Expertise of the Lawyer. First, you need to think about the expertise of the lawyer. Similar to doctors, lawyers tend to specialize in a specific area of the law. For example, there are some lawyers who specialize in criminal defense. There are other lawyers who specialize in immigration law.

What to ask when hiring an attorney?

Remember, costs, like copies, telephone calls, court reporter fees, postage, etc. will likely be separate from the attorney fees, so be sure to ask about that, too. How will the attorney respond to your requests? One of the biggest sources of complaints against attorneys has to do with them being unresponsive.

When is the best time to hire a business lawyer?

How to hire a lawyer for a small business?

What is flat fee for business?

What can an attorney do for a business?

Why is it important to invest in a small business attorney?

What is the job of Bizcounsel?

Why is it important to choose a good lawyer?

See more

Do You Need a Business Lawyer to Start Your Business?

Legally speaking, no: you are not required to hire a business attorney just to start a business. In fact, South Carolina Business One Stop (SCBOS) offers a free, government-provided guide for individuals who are interested in starting a business in the state.

What is Business Litigation?

Business litigation refers to any type of dispute that could arise in a business setting. In the beginning, it may seem far-fetched that you’d need a business attorney for litigation purposes—you certainly have no intent on getting in a fight with anyone.

How to Hire a Business Lawyer

In the Upstate of SC, there are many business law firms to choose from. It may seem intimidating to make such a big decision for your business, but hiring a business attorney is a lot like selecting a vendor for any other business function.

Do You Need a Business Lawyer?

Whether you find yourself at the very beginning of your business’ journey or somewhere in the middle, you will likely require a business lawyer at some point or another. When it comes to your business, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Why do small businesses need an attorney?

Small business owners work with attorneys for any number of reasons, including the purchase or lease of property, the establishment of a legal structure, compliance with labor and employment laws, tax preparation, and other matters vital to a well-functioning business.

How to start a business without an attorney?

Assuming that your situation does not have any complicating aspects a business owner can typically handle the following issues without the assistance of an attorney: writing a business plan; researching and picking a name for your business; reserving a domain name for your website; creating a legal partnership agreement, LLC agreement, or shareholder's agreement; applying for an employer identification number; applying for basic licenses and permits, interviewing and hiring employees; submitting normal IRS forms; documenting company meetings; hiring independent contractors and contracting with vendors; creating contracts for use with customers; creating a buy-sell agreement with partners; updating partnership agreements; and handling correspondence audits from the IRS. Of course, any of these situations may involve complicating elements that necessitate the involvement of an attorney.

What can an attorney do to help you with state taxes?

State Taxes - An attorney can make you aware of state specific tax obligations.

Why is it important to have an attorney?

Time - An attorney can help you understand your responsibilities in a timely fashion, ensuring you have the information you need in time to take the appropriate action.

Is it wise to have an attorney?

On the other hand, some kinds of situations are such that it is virtually always wise to involve an attorney. Some examples include: former, current, or prospective employees suing for discrimination or a hostile work environment; local, state, or federal government entities filing complaints or investigating you for violation of laws; you want to make a "special allocation" of profits and losses or want to contribute appreciated property to the partnership; an environmental issue arises and your business is involved; or negotiating the sale of your company or the acquisition of another company or its assets.

Starting a Business

It’s not common for small business owners to hire an attorney when they’re starting a business. This is mainly because most entrepreneurs are setting up sole proprietorships, which is a pretty straightforward business structure.

How to Hire a Business Lawyer

There are thousands of business lawyers in the United States. They might all have the same education, but the quality of services they offer isn’t the same.

Issues You Can Handle on Your Own

Certain matters you will encounter while you create, run, sell, or close your company does not require legal assistance as they are either straightforward or easy enough that you can figure them out after a small research period. The following list includes the most common tasks business owners should consider working through themselves.

Issues Where a Business Lawyer Can Help

Most intelligent business owners can handle any of the issues above. However, when a business faces time-consuming and complex issues that could lead to potential liability, the best decision to make is to consult and retain an experienced business attorney. Below are a few cases where a small business should consider hiring an attorney.

Prevent Issues Before They Happen

You should definitely consult an attorney to help you work through the issues stated above. However, your real focus should be put into preventing legal issues from ever even happening.

Contact Our DC Law Office for More Information

Finally, for more on when should a small business owner hire a business lawyer, contact us at 202-803-5676. You can also directly schedule a consultation with one of our skilled attorneys. Additionally, for general information regarding business and tax law, check out our blog.

How to prevent unnecessary attorney costs?

To prevent unnecessary attorney costs at the inception of your business as well as tremendous costs after a lawsuit has been filed, you might consider a consultation arrangement with an attorney. Such an arrangement would entail you doing most of the legwork of research and the attorney providing legal review or guidance.

What to do if your business is facing challenges?

Contact a qualified business attorney to help you address potential challenges a business can face.

What happens if your business doesn't cause environmental problems?

An environmental issue arises and your business is involved (even if your business didn't cause the environmental problem, you may be penalized) Negotiating for the sale or your company or for the acquisition of another company or its assets.

Do you need legal help when it's too late?

But when you do, it's good to know where to find the right one. And -- more to the point -- you may not know you need legal help until it's too late, as attorneys can help you stay in compliance with the law and spot developing legal issues early.

Why is hiring a lawyer important?

Hiring the right lawyer for your startup is an important decision because your lawyer will help you with almost every step along the way. Your lawyer will guide you through some of your highest highs (raising your first round of funding) and your lowest lows (firing your first employee). Hopefully, the first lawyer you hire is around through ...

What is a law firm?

Law firms are typically composed of partners, associates, paralegals, and interns. Not all are structured this way, but most are. It is essential that you understand whether the attorney you’re interviewing or a first-year associate will be doing your legal work; and, whether or not that matters to you!

Why do law firms have retainers?

Some law firms provide the option of a monthly retainer to pay in advance for services you use throughout the month. Monthly retainers can help you budget and feel at ease for the hour phone call or simple contract you need drafted because you already budgeted for the time.

Do startups hire outside counsel?

Typically, startups hire outside counsel at the onset, and eventually hire an in-house counsel to assist with business operations and regulatory matters while continuing to retain outside counsel for more specialized legal matters.

When is the best time to hire a business lawyer?

Like with insurance and accountants, the best time to hire a business lawyer is often before you think you need one. Even if you are trying to be extra cautious with your money, it’s worth looking into a few small business attorneys in your state anyway – if you ever decide to hire one, you’ll have a few names to choose from.

How to hire a lawyer for a small business?

When you decide it’s time to hire a small business lawyer for legal advice, it’s best to give yourself plenty of options. Meet a few different attorneys and choose the one who is a right fit for your business and you think you would have a good attorney-client relationship. Take advantage of your local turf and network, network, network. Listen to your friends and business associates, as a recommendation from the right source can be extremely valuable.

What is flat fee for business?

Good Business lawyers charge flat fees for simpler projects like setting up your entity and drafting short contracts. Flat fees are usually less expensive than an hourly rate for the same project and help you save money. Monthly retainer fee.

What can an attorney do for a business?

An attorney can assist you with partnership agreements and corporate bylaws. Contract review: A lawyer can help you in drafting and negotiating contracts. Handling employment issues: As a business increases its workforce, a business attorney can help keep up with labor laws and lawsuits.

Why is it important to invest in a small business attorney?

Because of that, many small business owners scramble to find the right business attorney only when faced with a grave legal problem (for example, getting sued by an employee or a customer.) That’s why it’s essential to know that investing in a small business attorney early on will often save you a bundle and help your business thrive in ...

What is the job of Bizcounsel?

Interviewing and hiring employees (check into federal and state laws which regulate the hiring of employees or look to a legal agency like BizCounsel for help)

Why is it important to choose a good lawyer?

It’s essential that you feel comfortable with the decision and that you have chosen the right lawyer for the job. Making sure that the lawyer and your startup are a good fit for each other is essential for your business’s success in the future, so you should feel comfortable with your decision.