what can a new business do with an attorney

by Marilie Hayes Jr. 6 min read

An attorney can help you form the new entity as well as advise you on which type of entity is best suited to your business model. Business Contracts Any time you join a new company or start a new job, you will need to sign a contract agreeing to the terms of your employment.

The Importance of Lawyers for Small Business Owners
Hiring an attorney can also help ensure that your business is operating legally. They can review contracts and documents that you would otherwise assume are legitimate. In addition, some lawyers are knowledgeable about tax issues, even if they aren't accountants.
May 19, 2021

Full Answer

What does a business lawyer do for You?

Mar 01, 2022 · Starting a business is an exciting endeavor, but it can also be a complex process. There’s a lot you need to do to make sure your business can succeed, including in terms of legal challenges that may arise. To navigate this process, a business lawyer is an absolute necessity.

Do you need a lawyer to start a business?

May 14, 2020 · Lawyers can simplify the customer and supplier interactions. Negotiations with suppliers and partners require proactiveness and strong terms between your business and others—even website or software providers—ensures mutual success. With a lawyer’s help, you can ensure that each contract or buy-sell agreement is comprehensive and binding.

What types of lawyers are available to small businesses?

Your business attorney will set up your business so that you, as the owner/investor, are shielded from personal liability in case of debt or lawsuit and that your family is protected as well. Your lawyer will make sure your business strictly follows state law in order to guarantee that your benefits and protections stay in place.

What type of lawyer should I hire to handle a business dispute?

Jun 15, 2010 · Assurance the startup is being done right. Enabling you to focus on other aspects of the business so you don't have to spend time learning the legal processes. Support with specific tasks like trademarking your name, reviewing lease documents, discussing potential legal structures, and preparing incorporation forms.

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Why should a lawyer be consulted when starting a new business?

These professionals have seen first-hand the mistakes entrepreneurs make, and know how to help you avoid them. It is best to consult with your attorney early on in the process, before you formally organize the company; the foundational issues are critical to the long-term success of your new venture.Jan 14, 2013

How can a lawyer help a business?

A Lawyer Will Help Businesses Stay On Top of Legal Changes They help you to avoid violating the law. Business Lawyers also help to negotiate legally binding agreements such as partnerships agreements and leases. Essentially, a business Lawyer ensures that everything you do is in line with the law.Feb 11, 2020

What does a lawyer do for a startup?

A Startup Lawyer Will Help Raise Funds Finding external investors carries its own range of regulatory problems, such as personal investment, seed investors, crowdfunding, bonds, venture capitalists, and other financial choices.Apr 8, 2021

Why do small businesses need lawyers?

Ensure compliance: A lawyer can help make sure that your business opens and operates by federal, state and local laws. Reduce risk: Doing business exposes you to risk, but a business attorney can help you establish a set of procedures that will limit your risk.Apr 4, 2019

Which kind of lawyer makes the most money?

Types Of Lawyers That Make The Most MoneyMedical Lawyers – Average $138,431. Medical lawyers make one of the highest median wages in the legal field. ... Intellectual Property Attorneys – Average $128,913. ... Trial Attorneys – Average $97,158. ... Tax Attorneys – Average $101,204. ... Corporate Lawyers – $116,361.Dec 18, 2020

Do lawyers give business advice?

Once the issue has been identified the lawyer must act on the client's behalf, research the law of the jurisdiction, then provide advice, guidance and where appropriate suggest solutions. integrate good legal practice with sound project management discipline, and sensible business management.Jan 5, 2020

Does a company need a lawyer?

Lawyers are necessary for a business not only for their primary purposes (take care of company's legalities) but they can also be very helpful in terms of connections (for partnerships and financiers) so choosing the best law yer is something that should be taken seriously and research and inquiries must not be ...

What is an attorney called?

A lawyer (also called attorney, counsel, or counselor) is a licensed professional who advises and represents others in legal matters. Today's lawyer can be young or old, male or female.Sep 10, 2019

Is LegalShield a good deal?

If you want the security of knowing that you can quickly get a response from a lawyer if you ever need it, LegalShield is a good choice. For a reasonable monthly fee, you can access a lawyer at a leading law firm and get targeted help on specific problem areas for small businesses, such as debt collection.Sep 17, 2020

What is an example of a legal profession?

An example of such a field is counseling.

How to increase your chances of success?

You can also increase your chances of success by renting a desk in an existing law firm or an adjacent business that might offer potential for cross-referral, such as an accounting firm or insurance brokerage. 7.

Who is Tony Martins?

Ajaero Tony Martins is an Entrepreneur, Real Estate Developer and Investor ; with a passion for sharing his knowledge with budding entrepreneurs. He is the Executive Producer @JanellaTV and also doubles as the CEO, POJAS Properties Ltd.

Why is it important to meet with a small business attorney?

Meeting with a small business attorney is an important way to get your business off to a good start and minimize future risks. Here are questions to ask at your first meeting. New entrepreneurs have their hands full, making plans, developing products and services, and lining up financing.

What does a business lawyer do?

A business lawyer can explain how to start a business and answer your business law questions. But more importantly, a lawyer can identify the risks you face and help you minimize them. When you meet with your lawyer for the first time, it’s a good idea to have some questions in mind.

How does a contract protect a business?

Contracts protect your business by describing the rights and responsibilities of the parties to the agreement. A well-written contract can reduce the number of disputes that arise, ensure that you get paid for the work you do, and provide a clear remedy if one party doesn’t hold up its end of the deal.

Do small businesses have trademarks?

All small businesses potentially have trademarks that they use to identify the business and distinguish it from others. Your business name, logo, labels, slogans, and packaging can all be trademarks, but you must take steps to protect them. You may decide to register a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

What to do before starting a small business?

Before starting a small business, you must decide how your business will be structured. If you do not form a formal business entity, your business will either be a sole proprietorship (with one owner) or a general partnership (with more than one owner). Legally, you and your business will be the same “person,” so if your business has debts ...

How to start a business off on the right foot?

Always ask your business attorney to assess your risks and identify ways to alleviate them. Getting business advice and legal help from a small business lawyer is a smart way to start a business off on the right foot. But don’t lose touch with your lawyer once your business is up and running. Make it a habit to seek business legal advice regularly ...

Do I need a patent lawyer?

And if you have an invention, you may need to apply for a patent. A business lawyer can help identify your intellectual property, advise you on protecting it, and assist with copyright or trademark registration. For patents, you will need a patent lawyer. 6.

Why do I need an attorney?

The most common reasons for needing an attorney are: 1 Navigating the many forms and requirements of legal documents, like incorporation documents, that are involved. 2 Assurance the startup is being done right. 3 Enabling you to focus on other aspects of the business so you don't have to spend time learning the legal processes. 4 Support with specific tasks like trademarking your name, reviewing lease documents, discussing potential legal structures, and preparing incorporation forms. 5 Online legal form providers don't always do it right. Businesses aren't one-size-fits-all, so blanket legal documents don't always work.

Do I need an attorney to start a business?

The simpler your business, the less you'll need an attorney. A sole proprietorship is the simplest business form. It doesn' t require that you register your business with your state, so no, you probably don't need an attorney ...

Can I register my business online?

You might be able to register online with your state or use an online service to register your business, but it might be a good idea to use an attorney if your business is at all complicated. Corporations or S corporations must register with the state as well.

Why is it important to hire a lawyer?

However, if your business is subject to a lawsuit, you’ll be relieved that you hired a lawyer. When evaluating lawyers, you should ask a lot ...

What kind of law do lawyers specialize in?

People sometimes wonder what types of lawyers are available to them. Lawyers often specialize in either business law or personal law. For this reason, you should search for lawyers who have business law experience.

Can a lawyer review a contract?

In addition, some lawyers are knowledgeable about tax issues, even if they aren’t accountants. They may have handled legal tax matters for other business owners and can make sure you don’t run into the same issues.

What is a general business lawyer?

1. General Business Lawyer. As the name suggests, a general business lawyer can provide legal advice on a wide range of matters. This type of lawyer has a hand in every legal discipline. If your business doesn’t deal with special circumstances, a general business lawyer may be well suited to your purposes.

Is M&A a complicated process?

M&A is a complicated process, and trying to do this without an M&A lawyer is not a wise decision. The documentation process is another complicated aspect of M&A deals. It’s likely for small business owners to overlook the needed documents. M&A lawyers know about the documents and filings.

What is an employment lawyer?

Employment and Labor Lawyer. Using an employment and labor lawyer only makes sense when your business has employees. If it does, your business should comply with state and federal laws. An attorney in this area of the law can help you draft employee manuals and ensure safety standards are in place.

Can you use templates for a business contract?

Many business owners use templates found on the internet for their contracts. These may work, but could cause your business legal problems, as templates won’t cover the specifics for your business.

How to write a legal article?

Another popular medium for publishing and marketing content is video. The same topics you would write about will likely make great video posts. These again can be shared on social media platforms, as well as video platforms like YouTube. A simple format to follow for providing legal information for business owners is: 1 Introduction (yourself and your firm) 2 Make a quick offer 3 Tell a story, leading into the main point 4 Discuss the main point (what you want to get across) 5 Close out with an offer 6 Outro

What is SEO and content marketing?

SEO and content marketing are popular for many types of practices. Many lawyers are compelled to rank their websites for the top keywords and generate new business from their home page and services pages. However, I would stress that for business and corporate law firms, you should focus more on answering business questions.

Which is the best social media platform for business?

Facebook is going to be the best social media platform to use for the lowest end in terms of revenue and business size. If you’re just starting a business and corporate law practice, then this could be a great opportunity for you to get started early on in your career.

Is social media a good source of leads?

Like in consumer-facing areas of law, advertising and social media can still be effective tools and sources for leads. It will depend on several factors, such as what type of clients you’re going after.

What is LinkedIn targeting?

If you’re looking to advertise or sponsor your content on LinkedIn, then you can define your audience targeting by company size, number of employees, job titles, etc. LinkedIn is ideal for its flexibility in terms of the type of marketing you’re performing: Advertising. Content Marketing. Networking.

How to generate new clients?

Arguably one of the best methods for generating new clients is through referrals. This is a large part of the overall objective of what is known as business development. For lawyers, there are two main channels for referrals:

Is LinkedIn a good social media channel?

Therefore, by targeting individuals that administer Facebook business pages, you’re off to a solid start defining your target audience on Facebook. LinkedIn can be another great social media channel.

Getting New Clients Boils Down to Three Simple Steps

If you’re in that 70% and you’re wondering what to do, just spend one hour on the web. You’ll find that we consultants all say the same things, only in different ways.

Qualities of Great Rainmakers

Contrary to what you may believe, the execution winners are not the “life of the party” personality types. They are all personality types. And they all have one thing in common: They follow what I call the three “P’s.”

Focal Areas for Making It Rain

In today’s small law firm world, lawyers wanting to make it rain should focus primarily on two areas: networking and digital marketing. The amount of effort in each area will usually vary by the practice area and geographic location.

The Good News: Competitors Make It Easier for Small Law Firms to Find New Clients

I’ve always maintained lawyers have it pretty darned good. We have a monopoly that seriously limits competition. And the competition for client acquisition that we do face is lazy. Thomson Reuters’ surveys continue to prove that. So get off your you-know-what and get some new business!

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You may not need to hire a lawyer as soon as you think when starting a business

Once you have a great idea for your start-up business, do you need to hire a lawyer to help you get started? Not necessarily. A lot of the initial steps related to choosing and forming your business entity you can do on your own.

Deciding on Your Business Structure

You will need to decide what type of ownership structure makes sense for your new business. Most states have information on their secretary of state (SOS) website about the different types of business entities you can choose from—solo proprietor, LLC, corporation, and partnership.

Checking for Name Availability

Choosing a name for your business is another initial step you will need to take. While there are some legal requirements related to naming your business, this can usually be done quite easily without the help of a lawyer.

Forming Your Business Entity

Once you have decided on the business structure and a name of your new business, you are ready to form your business entity. If you've decided on a sole proprietorship or partnership, you won't need to file any forms or pay any fees (although partners should enter into a partnership agreement).

Operating the Business

Once the formation tasks are done, you can focus your energy on getting your business up and running, figuring out the best way to sell your services or products, and creating the online presence you want.

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Online Advertising

  • Like in consumer-facing areas of law, advertising and social media can still be effective tools and sources for leads. It will depend on several factors, such as what type of clients you’re going after. Google AdWords & Facebook Ads Lawyers and firms looking to use AdWords and Facebook ads, know that this is going to work best for smaller business owners. These are people who are hirin…
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Social Media

  • Facebookis going to be the best social media platform to use for the lowest end in terms of revenue and business size. If you’re just starting a business and corporate law practice, then this could be a great opportunity for you to get started early on in your career. You’re unlikely to land any large accounts for a while, so hanging out where you can find people that own, run or are sta…
See more on zahavianlegalmarketing.com

SEO & Content Marketing

  • SEO and content marketing are popular for many types of practices. Many lawyers are compelled to rank their websites for the top keywords and generate new business from their home page and services pages. However, I would stress that for business and corporate law firms, you should focus more on answering business questions. Put the bulk of your SEO effort into blogging and …
See more on zahavianlegalmarketing.com

Develop Connections & Referral Sources

  • Arguably one of the best methods for generating new clients is through referrals. This is a large part of the overall objective of what is known as business development. For lawyers, there are two main channels for referrals: 1. Other attorneys 2. Your current and past clients Generating referrals from other attorneys and clients is one of the most lucrative channels for new busines…
See more on zahavianlegalmarketing.com