3 Things To Look For When Hiring A Lawyer For Your Business
by Mashum Mollah Business Planning Published on: 10 December 2018 Last Updated on: 08 November 2024
If you’re thinking about starting your own business, two of the first things you should seek to acquire are an accountant and a lawyer. While it makes sense to everyone why you should have an accountant on your team, many entrepreneurs don’t immediately hire a lawyer to work with them. However, whether your business is just you or you employee thousands of staff members, you’re going to want a trusted lawyer on your side. So to help you find the right person or firm to work with you for the ultimate success of your company, here are three things you should look for when hiring a lawyer for your business.
The Size Of The Firm:
Depending on your needs, the size of the firm that you’ll want to work with will vary. There can be both pros and cons to choosing to work with just one lawyer or by having an entire law firm ready to assist you. According to Cliff Ennico, a contributor to Entrepreneur.com, a larger law firm will likely already have people on their staff who could help you with all types of legal issues that you need assistance with, from negotiating agreements to filing a trademark. However, these larger firms can often be more expensive and not give you the personal attention that you might desire.
On the other hand, smaller firms or even just an individual lawyer can sometimes gain a better, deeper understanding of your business and truly work as a partner with you. The exact type of lawyer that you’re wanting to work with will have a large bearing on the size of firm you should seek after.
A Business Owner Themselves:
Especially if you’re just starting out as a business owner and have a lot of questions that you’re going to need answers, guidance, and advice with, Tim Parker, a contributor to Business Know How, recommends that you try to find a lawyer who’s also a business owner. Whether this person currently owns and operates their own private law firm or if they were a business owner in the past, the knowledge gained from this pursuit can be invaluable to you. Couple this with their legal knowledge, and you might have just found the perfect lawyer to partner with your own growing business.
How They Fit With You:
Because you’ll likely be having to speak to and communicate with your business lawyer on a relatively consistent basis, it’s important that you’re able to hire someone who you fit with personally and professionally. According to Rebecca Thorman, a contributor to The Muse, you should try to find a lawyer that you enjoy speaking with, the understands both your industry and your specific business, that communicates in a similar way as you do, and that you feel that you can relate to. Without this fit, you might find yourself soon looking for another lawyer who you mesh with better.
If you’re about to hire a lawyer for your new business, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find the best fit for you.
Read Also:
