When you are starting a small business, it might seem like you are able to do it all on your own. However, it is best to have someone with legal knowledge on your side for help and support. This can help to keep you out of hot water and ensure that everything is done properly. The first step is finding a lawyer that has experience. You want to do some research into the attorneys in your area by looking at their experience, such as checking out Suzzanne Uhland’s LinkedIn. This helps you to pick the best person for the job.
Legal Documents and Forms
When you are getting started with a new business, there will be a wealth of legal documents and other forms that you have to fill out. It is imperative that these are completed correctly or else this could result in problems or even delays in getting your company off of the ground.
Since these forms and documents can be quite complicated, it is important to have a lawyer’s help. Look for one in your industry since much of the paperwork will be focused on your specific industry. When you are exploring lawyers in your area, you can find out more about their experience with a little research. For example, look up Suzzanne Uhland’s LinkedIn, to see her specialty areas and overall level of experience.
Contract Creation and Negotiations
There will be instances where you need to create contracts for various elements of your business. Your contracts need to be comprehensive and be beneficial for all parties involved. If you have never created contracts before, or negotiated them, you want to work with a lawyer. They will be able to help you in drafting them so that everything is in order and in accordance with the law. In terms of negotiations, your attorney will ensure that you are getting what you want out of the contract.
You Are Being Sued
No matter the size of your business, there is always a chance of a lawsuit and without a lawyer on your side, you might have no idea how to properly approach such a situation. Since your business is small, one lawsuit could be enough to completely wipe out your finances. A lawyer can help to either get the suit dismissed if it has no merit or at least work to reduce how much you have to come out of pocket, helping you to preserve your business assets.
Assistance With Employee Issues
There are multiple elements associated with hiring and employing people and you want to make sure that everything you do is within the law. This is especially important if you have to let someone go either via firing them or laying them off. Your attorney can give you advice to help prevent that employee from having grounds for a lawsuit due to their termination.
You Need to Choose a Structure for Your Business
As a small business, one of the first tasks to complete is to determine your company structure. This means deciding between partnership, nonprofit, sole proprietorship and LLC. The type of structure you opt for will play a major role in many aspects of your business, such as your tax obligations, ongoing expenses, personal liabilities and setup fees. Your lawyer will be able to go over all of these with you and help you in figuring out which structure will be the most beneficial.
You can see that a lawyer is a necessity for any small business. Make sure that you do your homework and choose an attorney that has experience working with small businesses. Preferably, you will find one that has experience in your specific industry.