It doesn’t matter whether you have a small business, a medium-sized, or even a large business; you need a business lawyer to help you address your legal needs. If you assess all of the practice areas that lawyers specialize in, you will find too many.
On that note, you might want to see the business lawyer as a general practitioner that you go to, and that attorney can handle nearly all of your legal needs. If you have a special legal issue to deal with, then the business attorney will refer you to a business specialist.
Understand the Basic Legal Needs of Your Business
If you just launched your business, you might be wondering about what your daily needs might be. Even if you are in the startup phase, you might have questions about whether you should opt for an LLC or become a corporation. Once your business lawyer helps you choose between an LLC and a corporation, naturally, you will be wondering about your taxes next.
You might as well have questions about whether you should have an agreement with other stakeholders for an LLC. This aspect is known as an operating agreement for your corporation. It might as well refer to a shareholder agreement.
Understand How Contracts Are Made
When hiring your first employees, you might be wondering whether you should make them sign employment contracts. And if the answer is yes, you must be wondering what goes into an employment contract. This is also where a business lawyer can help you. However, the terms and regulations are different for each state, which is why it is in your best interest to hire a lawyer from your respective state, such as The Woodlands – Business Law Attorney, if you have opened your business in Woodlands. Contacting a business lawyer from your state also establishes the importance of what you need to know under the law where you are right now.
You need to know what laws you and your employees have to follow under your respective state.
Understand Your State’s Law
You have federal laws, such as the Family Medical Leave Act. Or, you have the local laws related to employment, and these laws differ from one location to another. So, you need to know what you need to know about operating a business in Woodlands or in Washington, DC. Only a lawyer from your respective state will be able to tell you and walk you through all the details you need to know about complying with the law of your state and setting up your business the right way.
You Need Advice on Employee Agreements and Contracts
Once you have understood the basics of the employment and corporation laws in your respective state, you will need a business lawyer to advise you whether or not you should make your employees sign a non-compete agreement. In case you are wondering what this agreement is about, a non-compete agreement refers to the legal contract that is signed between an employee and an employer.
This contract essentially restricts your employee from working for your competitor. Likewise, it restricts your employee from opening a similar business within a specific geographic area for a specific time period.
Of course, your business lawyer is in the best position to tell you the details about a potential employee-employer agreement and how this will help your business.
Ensure You Comply with the Laws of Your State
The lawyer will also advise you on whether or not you should have an employment handbook and how this will impact your work culture. You get the point – when you open a business or set up a company, there is a lot that happens legally every day. You cannot address the legal issues without the help of a lawyer. With a lawyer by your side, you also don’t have to worry about not complying with the laws and regulations of your state, as your lawyer will ensure that you are on top of your game.
Independent Contractor vs Employee
You might want to hire an independent contractor but aren’t sure about how this will impact your business operations. A business lawyer can help you understand the difference between an independent contractor and a potential employee. Now, when you finally hire independent contractors, you might wonder whether or not you can make those independent contractors sign agreements.
Your Lawyer Will Help You Negotiate Leases
You might want to move into an office or a warehouse or whatever, which might require you to get a lease from a landlord. Again, with the lawyer by your side, you can review that lease. The business lawyer will also help you effectively negotiate that lease. Subsequently, during your entrepreneurial journey, you will also have questions about your trademarks. It might be in your best interest to have a contract in place with you and your lawyer.
Handle A Business Dispute Legally
Later on, you might get in touch with your lawyer and tell them that you have had trouble with your partner or stakeholder in the company. However, you can also be in a fight with your client or your landlord. You can, however, also be in a fight with your client or independent contractor, as nothing stays smooth in life and in business setups, and you can expect fights or arguments to happen.
Now, since your business lawyer is the one who has been preparing all of your agreements and contracts, they put everything in writing with attorney fee provisions that are in your best interest, and when there is a fight, they can hand over those legal documents. Besides, in case of an argument, your business attorney can also give you the best advice on the next best steps to take. They can also help find the best resolution for any ongoing matter.
Final Thoughts
It doesn’t matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey; you will need a lawyer to help you with everyday issues – from the very start of your business to the time when you retire and hand over your business to someone else. With a business attorney by your side, you can also have a legal mentor who is well-attuned with the regulations of your respective state and ensures that your business is complying with the law all the time to avoid penalties and heavy fines by the court.
