How to judge a business attorney

When looking for a great lawyer, one of the best sources is a business referral. Entrepreneurs often depend on a variety of professional support services, including accountants, bankers and real estate brokers, to run their businesses. These service providers are the best resources for lawyer referrals.

Lawyers have become more specialized over the years and business owners will benefit from hiring lawyers who specialize in the specific problems that they are likely to face. Entrepreneurs should examine the Attorneys.com business law resources for ideas regarding the types of services that they might need. They have an assortment of articles related to bankruptcy, workers compensation, medical malpractice, personal injury, labor and employment.

One of the first considerations for a business is the type of organization that the business owner has. When forming a corporation or a limited liability corporation, it is sometimes a good idea to contact a reputable business attorney specialized in the formation of corporations. When a business develops a new product or believes that it is the victim of copyright infringement, it might want to hire a copyright lawyer. Most businesses would benefit from hiring a lawyer that can help them write contracts.

One way to weed out prospective lawyers is to locate the state agency that is responsible for processing complaints directed toward lawyers. Lawyers often receive public reprimands when they are found to behave unethically. Business owners should research prospective lawyers to make sure that they are not involved in any controversies that could indicate that the lawyer may be disreputable.

Once a business has narrowed the list of lawyers down, the next step is to begin the interview process. The business owner and lawyer should establish an ideal chemistry off the bat. The lawyer should also demonstrate early on that he or she communicates promptly. Many of the complaint logs filed at lawyers show that they are often terrible communicators. Phone calls and emails often go unanswered. Businesses often need questions answered yesterday and cannot afford to wait a week or longer for a response. The initial promptness of the lawyer’s response should be the first indicator.

Many business owners cannot afford to continually pay their lawyers hourly rates for services. The lawyer should be willing to educate his or her client so that the client can do at least some of the work on his or her own. By educating the client, the lawyer also shows that he or she as the client’s best interests at heart.

By Sam Peters

Source: The Business 2 Community