There are many reasons why you might need a solicitor, lawyer or professional legal representative during the course of business. You may need these services for advice on how to structure your business, to draw up contracts and legally binding documents, to help form business partnerships, or to resolve issues with clients and/or government agencies.
Whatever your reason for needing one, it’s important to choose the right one.
Solicitors, lawyers and attorneys are highly specialised professionals. The laws of the modern world are so complex that it is difficult for one person to see to all legal matters, and so they normally will choose one area of law to focus on. A solicitor might specialise in family law, business, criminal law, or any of a number of other areas of specialty.
So for your business you need to find a legal professional who is an expert in business law. Even then, you may find some professionals that specialise in various areas within business law, such as patent or intellectual property protection.
The first step to choosing the right professional is in narrowing the list down by their specialty.
That short list still will be quite long though, and so you will need a way to really close the field. For this, determine your specific needs and the type of solicitor you want representing you.
Consider factors such as:
- Expertise
- Experience
- Personality
- Philosophy
- Legal interpretation
In addition, it’s a good idea to:
- Ask other business associates for referrals
- Check with legal societies
- Ask for referrals from trade, commerce or industry associations you belong to
Once you’ve narrowed this down to a few prospective representatives, it’s time to ask for some specific details, such as:
- Their area of expertise and experience dealing with cases such as yours
- Quotes, rates and additional service fees
- What is and isn’t included in quotes provided, and how the cost may alter depending on various factors
By now, you should have one or more prospectives that you feel comfortable working with; if not, continue your search until you do.
