Legal issues can cause a lot of problems for your company if you don't handle them effectively by hiring the right corporate lawyer. The following are six things you shouldn't assume when it comes to hiring a corporate lawyer to be sure that you're protecting your company from legal issues.
Your company is too small to require the services of a corporate lawyer.
Companies of all sizes can potentially benefit from the services of a corporate lawyer. Even when your company is just starting out, you could soon find yourself facing a legal quandary for which you need professional corporate law advice.
Your company can't afford a corporate lawyer.
Corporate lawyer services have the reputation of being very costly. However, they might not be as expensive as you expect. If you shop around and compare costs between corporate lawyers practicing in your area, you'll probably find a corporate lawyer whose fees you can afford.
You can just find a corporate lawyer when a legal issue comes up.
It's often best to anticipate legal issues and find a corporate lawyer who you know that you can turn to before you need legal services. Planning things out in advance can reduce some of the stress of coming to a legal obstruction to your company's operations.
Business owners don't need a corporate lawyer unless they do something wrong.
You might think that if you're very careful in making decisions at your company, you'll avoid any legal issues. However, it's important for business owners to realize that they don't necessarily need to do anything wrong to find themselves facing complex legal issues.
Legal issues can come up in the course of normal business operations such as drawing up contracts with partners or customers. This means that you shouldn't assume that you won't need a corporate lawyer if you consciously avoid legal issues.
Signing a contract with a corporate lawyer means that your company is stuck with that lawyer.
Many corporate lawyers might want to offer you a contract agreement through which they offer you legal services for fees that are agreed upon in advance. This could be the best way to enjoy the least costly fees for corporate law services.
It's important for you to realize that signing a contract doesn't mean that you're stuck with a particular corporate lawyer or corporate law firm. Contracts should include stipulations for how you can terminate services so that you can change lawyers if you want to down the road.
You can handle your company's legal issues effectively without a lawyer.
Corporate law is complex and difficult to navigate for business owners with no legal experience. You'll really put your company at risk if you attempt to represent your company yourself in the event of a lawsuit against your company or another serious legal issue.