As a new entrepreneur, you know you have a lot of contacts to make. You’re hiring staff, finding clients, and seeking out the right vendors to outsource your needs. Most new business owners don’t immediately think of finding a good lawyer to help them, but it’s important to know one. Here are four good reasons why. 

 

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1. Lawyers prevent problems. Most people don’t think about needing a lawyer until they have a problem that needs fixing. However, a lot of what a lawyer does is actually preventative. A firm like Fleeson Gooing will review contracts, write up agreements, file paperwork, and make sure that you and your company are complying with the law. An attorney will represent your interests, and the best way to do this is to keep you away from legal trouble in the first place, not defend you when you’re already in trouble. Find a good lawyer to look over your contracts, keep your business filings up to date, and help you with your paperwork. All this helps you to avoid legal problems in the future.
2. Your competitors and partners have lawyers. If you are signing contracts with another company to agree working together, then you will know that an attorney wrote up the contracts, and did so with the interests of the other company is mind. When you’re a business owner, whenever you work with someone who has an attorney, you need to have one too. Without one, you won’t have someone who can act on your behalf and advise you on legal matters. You can’t be the only one in an agreement without proper representation, especially if you are involved in negotiation or a dispute of some kind.
3. Networking opportunities. All lawyers work with a lot of different legal professionals, who will have different specialties. They will also work with officials in various areas of government, as well as many other professionals across different industries. One of the qualities of a skilled lawyer is being able to contact the right people in order to make things happen. This skill makes your lawyer a great source of useful contacts for other professionals that you need. For example, if it’s tax season and you’re not sure how to file, chances are that your lawyer will know a good accountant that could help you. A lawyer will be able to advise you on who in the area is good, and who you should avoid.

 

It’s best to always be prepared. Things can go wrong for a business at any time. What would you do if something happened and you find yourself being sued? In situations like this, you only have a limited time to respond. If you’re trying to find a lawyer to help you, this wastes a lot of time. More time is wasted when a lawyer is trying to get up to speed with the situation. You never what challenges your business may face that call for the services of a lawyer. If you can, establish a relationship with a lawyer so if you need one, they can hit the ground running to start helping you, with no need to go over your history.