When looking for a small business attorney, you need to know how to find the right legal representative for your needs. You might not even know that your small business needs a lawyer until it does.
Here are some tips that will help you to find the right lawyer for the job:
Ask the Right Questions
If you are looking for a small business lawyer, you should start by doing a Google search that includes the name of your city. For instance, if you are looking for a personal injury lawyer, you can type in San Antonio personal injury attorney into the search engine. This specific search will produce the relevant results for your region.
Once you find an attorney that you like, you should review his website to see if he practices in the area that you need help. The next step involves contacting the attorney by phone call or email to set up a personal interview. While on the phone, you should ask pertinent questions such as how long he has been practicing.
Consider their Personality
You need to ensure that your personalities are a good fit. If you end up working with this lawyer for a while, you need to feel comfortable around him. If you need recommendations, you should ask other business owners to give you referrals. To judge the lawyer’s personality, you need to ask hard questions to see if he will respond rudely.
Do Your Research
After compiling a list of names, you should do some due diligence to find out whether the lawyers are licensed. Thanks to the growth of the internet, you can now see whether an attorney has had disciplinary actions online. Aside from the minimum qualifications, you need to see whether your personalities match.
Are there any testimonials on their websites? If you find businesses that are the same size as yours giving good testimonials, you should give that lawyer a chance. If everything looks good, you should call the law firm and ask how they will handle your issue. If there is an initial consultation fee, you should know beforehand.
Look for Experience
You do not know when you will be taken advantage of or sued by another entity. If your business grows fast, your chances of being involved in litigation cases increase. The best lawyer will give you advice on how to protect your intellectual property and draft contracts on your behalf.
All business services cover different areas of law, including contract employment, transactional law, and commercial litigation. This means that you should hire an attorney who can handle the depth of your issues. If a lawyer tells you about his experience, you need to ask for proof; assuming that your potential lawyer has the right qualifications, he will give you proof of knowledge and experience willingly.
Look at Online Reviews
You can find your lawyer by way of recommendation or at a networking meeting. However, most business owners are finding the right lawyers online. If you find a small business attorney online, you need to look at online reviews for an unfiltered view of his work. Although Facebook and Google are not geared to lawyers, you will find helpful reviews there.
People are familiar with those websites and they feel comfortable giving honest reviews there. You can also visit lawyer-centered sites such as Lawyers.com for reviews.
If you are ever in need of a small business lawyer, you should follow the above tips. Finding the right legal representative for your case can mean the difference between winning and losing so you need to be diligent in your search.
