Legal Trouble? Get the Law Experts You Need for Your Small Business

Even successful small businesses sometimes run into legal trouble. Whether it’s an issue with a new business contesting your name, worker’s compensation claims, or something else entirely, having a legal team on your side and ready to go is well worth the time it takes to find the right attorneys. Here’s some advice to keep in mind.

When You Might Need Legal Expertise

?       Worker’s compensation claims. If an employee is injured on the job, you’ll want to have a lawyer on your side to make sure the claim is legitimate.

• Land Dispute. If your business is expanding and has had a survey conducted, you may find out that your observed property boundaries do not match up with your deed. 

?       Naming issues. For example, when you are first naming your business, you need to make sure that your business name doesn’t already belong to another enterprise. To make sure this doesn’t happen, remember to hire a professional search firm (who are legal experts as well) to do a trademark search and make sure that a given name hasn’t already been registered with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

?       Lawsuits. Sometimes customers can get aggressive or accuse your business of foul practices. A legal pro on your side can turn the tables against belligerent customers and make sure your name isn’t sullied.

Accion Opportunity Fund notes that there are dozens of other times when you may need legal experts, of course. Ultimately, having the right lawyers on-hand to help you through any legal trouble is always better than going to court alone. 

How to Choose a Lawyer/Law Firm

There are a few steps you can take to make sure you choose the right small business lawyers for your enterprise:

Check for Practice Areas

For starters, make sure any prospective lawyers actually practice in the appropriate areas. You wouldn’t hire an automobile accident attorney for your medical malpractice case, right?

Generally, you’ll want to look for lawyers with the following practice areas and more:

?        Worker’s compensation

?        Personal injury

?        Slip and fall or trip and fall accidents

?        Product liability

?        Insurance claims

Review of Past Experience

Next, do some research for any law firm you plan on hiring and check out their past experiences or verdicts. If they had a history of successful case verdicts, that might be a great sign that they’ll be a top-tier choice for your business and its future legal needs.

Get an Interview or Consultation

Any law team worth its salt will offer a free consultation or case evaluation before requesting a dime. Global Guideline points out that interviewing with a lawyer who may represent you in the future is wise since it gives you the chance to analyze them in person and determine whether they’ll really fit with your team and needs.

Inquire About Pricing

Be upfront about asking about fees. Good lawyers won’t cut corners or try to avoid this question. They may even demand high rates. But if they deserve them, you should pay them gladly.

If a law firm is cagey about how much it will cost to retain their services, move on. They may be trying to scam you.

Avoid ‘Guaranteed’ Lawyers

Similarly, never partner with lawyers who guarantee results, either in terms of financial compensation or otherwise. No legal case is ever guaranteed, no matter how open and shut it may seem. A lawyer who is honest about your case’s chances of success is much more worth your time and money.

Use PDFs to Ensure Easy, Permanent Access to Contract Agreements

Small business owners can streamline the contract-signing process with the legal professionals they collaborate with by adopting some simple steps. Typically, PDFs are the preferred format for contracts because of their universality and security. If your contracts are currently in a different format, you can try this page that will allow you to easily convert them to PDFs. This ensures that your contracts are standardized, easily shareable, and compatible with various devices and platforms, simplifying the signing and management of legal agreements.

Don’t Fight the Law Alone – Get Legal Help for Success

In the end, the right law firm can help you survive any legal challenge that life throws at your business, ranging from lawsuits to false worker’s compensation claims and more. Get a legal pro who can represent your business fairly and effectively and you’ll weather any legal storm with ease.