Top 3 Factors to Consider When Choosing Business Law Firms

When you’re starting a business, you’re going to encounter legal issues from the time you’re writing your initial business plan. If you want to make sure that everything goes well, you need to hire a great lawyer.

Choosing business law firms isn’t easy when there are so many lawyers competing for your attention. We want to help you narrow down your options.

Keep reading for three factors that you should keep in mind when you’re making your decision.

1. Previous Experience

First and foremost, you need to consider whether or not the firms that you’re looking into have the correct business law experience that you’ll need for your business.

It’s helpful if they have direct experience within your niche, though this is a more flexible point if your niche is very specific. Use your best judgment and have a one-on-one conversation about this with the lawyer in question before you make your choice.

Do you need an experienced business contract attorney? What about an attorney that can help you with copyright or business planning? Most business law firms can handle most legal business issues, but it never hurts to make sure.

Some attorneys choose to specialize in a specific area. If you need a small business lawyer, you won’t get much help from an attorney who prefers to work with large corporations.

2. Your Budget

Keep in mind that the cost of an attorney shouldn’t be the deciding factor. That said, not all affordable lawyers are bad and not all expensive lawyers are good. It’s appropriate to start comparing lawyer fees while you’re making your decision.

Compare the fees with the current going rate for business law firms in your area. You want the firm to be comparable. If the prices are too low, it’s a red flag (but if the prices are too high, they likely won’t fit into your budget).

While you’re considering your budget, ask the law firm how they charge. Do they charge by the hour, even during phone calls? Do they charge for emails or updates?

Can the attorney give you an estimate before you start using their services or working on a specific project?

These are all things that you need to consider before making any serious commitments.

3. Overall Availability 

Attorneys are busy people. Anyone who’s ever worked with a law firm in any capacity knows that lawyers have tight schedules, and it’s not uncommon for people to struggle to get onto those schedules, even if they’re pre-existing clients.

It’s difficult to tell how available an attorney is going to be just by asking. Of course, attorneys who are looking for clients are going to be responsive to calls and emails at first (and if they’re not, it’s obvious that they’re a poor choice).

Sometimes it takes a trial run to determine whether or not an attorney is flexible enough to work with you on your schedule.

Remember These Things When You’re Choosing Business Law Firms

Choosing business law firms isn’t easy. This is a huge decision that can be make-or-break for your business. By keeping these factors in mind, you should be able to narrow down your choices to the best law firm options for you.

For more helpful articles all about maintaining a business and more, check out the rest of our site.