how to find a good business attorney

1. Begin looking before you need help. Running a good business is about anticipating your needs, and selecting an attorney is no different.
2. Contact business colleagues for referrals. Look around in your community for other businesses that are somewhat similar to yours.
3. Check with the local or state bar association. A bar association is a professional organization of lawyers that serves several different purposes.
4. Search for lawyers with a commercial referral service. Many commercial referral services have sites online that you can use.
5. Ask another lawyer. If you know a lawyer through other dealings, you may be able to ask him or her for a referral.

Full Answer

Is an attorney essential when starting my business?

Nov 27, 2012 · Best answer: Just like a doctor, (s)he would get to know you, understand how you got here, where do you want to go with the business and in life. Then gain an understanding of the issue at hand including the background circumstances, what is the end goal, and what are your personal feelings about the issue.

How to hire a business lawyer?

May 02, 2022 · Most state and local bar associations offer this service (sometimes for a fee) and may also help you find a lawyer according to where you live and what kind of legal matter you have. Several online directories include reviews from other users. Often, these also include any publicly available information about ethical complaints against the lawyer.

How to find an excellent lawyer?

When you know how to find a good business lawyer for your start-up needs, those services should include the following: Starting a business as an entrepreneur in the USA. Obtaining a business tax ID or EIN. Obtaining a personal tax ID or ITIN number. Establishing a professional corporation.

How to find a startup lawyer?

Feb 09, 2022 · Another method is to contact a state or local bar association. Sometimes these organizations can connect you with a lawyer who can help you with your issue. However, these routes for finding a business lawyer can take some time and may be a hit-or-miss. Also, many bar associations don’t do direct referrals. Find the Right Commercial Lawyer

What Is a Business Lawyer?

General business lawyers handle business formation, contract writing, and more. But in many fields of the law, lawyers tend to specialize. You might find a lawyer to handle:

How to Find a Business Lawyer

Even if you know what you're looking for, you also need to know where to find a lawyer. The American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, and many others recommend asking people you trust for recommendations.

Meeting With Potential Lawyers

Once you have identified some possible business lawyers, think about how to choose the right lawyer from that list. It's important to meet or at least talk on the phone, with several before hiring one.

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Finding the right lawyer for you may seem like an overwhelming task, but it doesn't have to be if you know what questions to ask.

How to Find a Good Business Lawyer, and How He or She Can Help

The following information will help you learn how to find a good business lawyer – someone who will go the distance for you to represent your business. You need an attorney to support you as a company, as he or she can give you an edge concerning the following:

How to Find a Good Business Lawyer that Will Save Your Company Money

If you want to know how to find a good business lawyer that will save your business money, you need to speak to an attorney who is well known for his or her skills in negotiation. A good business lawyer will represent you in court. However, he or she may find a better answer to your legal case.

How to Find a Good Business Lawyer that Will Prevent You from Making a Legal Mistake

Once you learn how to find a good business lawyer that will prevent you from making a legal mistake, you are on the right track. Even trivial business matters can cost a company—especially a start-up—thousands of dollars to resolve.

How to Find a Good Business Lawyer that Charges Fairly

After you learn how to find a good business lawyer, you will need to ask him or her how he or she charges. Usually, in a straightforward case, such as the formation of an LLC, you can forecast a budget for the work so you know what you will be paying. That means you can set a certain amount of money aside for any legal charges.

Establishing the Pricing

Depending on what you need to have done, your lawyer will outline the charges and specific fees. For example, if you need to establish an operating agreement for an LLC, it usually costs between $100 to $1000.

What To Do Next

The above information can help you, whether you live in the U.S., or are starting a business and have just arrived in the country. Use the expertise of a good business lawyer to help you launch your business and comply legally and professionally.

When Should I Hire a Business Lawyer?

You may wish to hire a business lawyer in the event of any disputes or violations under business laws. Business lawyers handle various legal matters, including:

How Do I Find a Business Lawyer Online?

Learning how to find a business lawyers over the internet may actually be simpler than trying to place numerous phone calls. One good place to start is LegalMatch.com. LegalMatch provides free attorney-client matching services that are tailored to the individual needs of each client.

Community Q&A

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Tips

Attorneys' personal websites are a great way to investigate potential attorneys before moving forward with the interview process. You may also be able to find client testimonials online, as well as confidentiality rankings from attorney directories.

Warnings

Don't put off choosing an attorney until you need legal representation for a dispute. While it is true that attorney services cost money, disputes can cost much more money. A good attorney will advise you on measures to avoid disputes before they happen.

About This Article

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.

Who is the best source of business lawyers?

The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business lawyers. The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know lawyers who work in that area.

How to find a lawyer for a lawsuit?

Here are a few other sources you can turn to for possible candidates in your search for a lawyer: 1 The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business lawyers. 2 The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know lawyers who work in that area. For example, if your dispute involves trying to stop a major new subdivision, it would make sense to consult an environmental group committed to fighting urban sprawl. 3 A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. 4 A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.

What is Nolo lawyer directory?

Nolo offers a unique lawyer directory that provides a comprehensive profile for each attorney with information that will help you select the right attorney. The profiles tell you about the lawyer's experience, education, and fees, and perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law.

What does Nolo profile tell you about a lawyer?

The profiles tell you about the lawyer's experience, education, and fees, and perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law . Nolo has confirmed that every listed attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with their bar association.

What is a lawyer referral service?

Lawyer referral services are another source of information. There is a wide variation in the quality of lawyer referral services, however, even though they are required to be approved by the state bar association. Some lawyer referral services carefully screen attorneys and list only those attorneys with particular qualifications and a certain amount of past experience, while other services will list any attorney in good standing with the state bar who maintains liability insurance. Before you choose a lawyer referral service, ask what its qualifications are for including an attorney and how carefully lawyers are screened.

Can lawyers be terrible communicators?

Unfortunately, the complaint logs of all lawyer regulator y groups indicate that many lawyers are terrible communicators. If every time you have a problem there's a delay of several days before you can talk to your lawyer on the phone or get an appointment, you'll lose precious time, not to mention sleep.

Do lawyers work with you?

Fortunately, many lawyers will work with you to help you acquire a good working knowledge of the legal principles and procedures you need to deal with your problem at least partly on your own. If you are hoping to represent yourself and use a lawyer only for advice, make sure the lawyer is open to that type of set-up.

Do attorneys charge for consultations?

Most attorneys do consultation appointments for free. However, some may charge a small fee for a consultation. Make certain that you know whether you will be charged, and don't make an appointment with an attorney who isn't forthcoming about these details. Most attorneys offer consultations for free.

What percentage of a settlement does an attorney receive?

The attorney will receive a percentage of the settlement amount, usually between 30 to 40 percent.

What is a family law attorney?

Family law attorneys handle matters such as separation, divorce, pre-nuptial agreements, adoption, guardianship, child custody and support. Personal injury law. Personal injury attorneys handle cases involving medical malpractice, dog bites, car accidents and any injury to a person that may be the fault of another.

What can a business lawyer do for you?

A business lawyer will advise you on many different aspects relating to business, such as regulation compliance, business incorporation, and legal liability. The sooner you retain a business attorney, the better.

What does a business attorney do?

A business attorney will help you determine the value of your business, should your plans ever change.

How much does a corporate lawyer cost?

Experienced corporate lawyers can cost between $300 and $600 per hour, depending on a variety of factors, such as the following: 1 Geographic location. Lawyers in major cities may charge more money than those in smaller communities. 2 Level of experience. A partner will cost more per hour than an associate in a firm. 3 Firm size. Lawyers with large, national law firms may charge more than those in smaller firms.

What can a lawyer do for a company?

If your business is developing proprietary products or processes that need to be protected, a lawyer can help you with contracts and copyright and patent applications, such as nondisclosure agreements, that protect your intangible assets. If your company is going to be creating a lot of intellectual property which could become sued over in the future it is especially important that a lawyer look over all paperwork before it is submitted.

What to do if you are subject to a lawsuit?

If you are ever the subject of a lawsuit, such as a discrimination or harassment suit from an employee, or an action by a customer,company or vendor, you should consult with an attorney immediately. If a state or federal agency, such as OSHA, investigates you, a lawyer can be your advocate and adviser since they are versed in business law. At this point privacy of information may also come into play so a lawyer should be able to walk you through a standard NDA or privacy agreement.