Whether they know it or know, every new business has countless legal needs. Unfortunately, when the budget is tight, these legal needs often go neglected. A general counsel service can give your business an affordable way to access an attorney without breaking your budget.
What Legal Problems Can a New Business Face?
Virtually everything a business does from the start is a legal problem. When you register as a corporation or LLC, the paperwork must be filed properly or you might risk losing the corporate shield that protects your personal assets from being seized to pay business debts.
You'll also need to sign leases, contracts, and waivers with your landlord, suppliers, and customers. A good waiver can keep you from getting sued out of business if a customer is injured by your product, and a solid contract can head off many of the common misunderstandings that turn into costly lawsuits.
When you hire employees, you'll need an employment contract as well as a thorough understanding of any local regulations on hours, breaks, overtime, health insurance, and other benefits. You may also face things like wrongful termination claims or sexual harassment allegations.
Why Do Businesses Skip Hiring a Lawyer?
The main concern is almost always the budget. This is compounded by the fact that lawyers often have minimum fees and a simple question that an in-house corporate attorney in a big company could resolve in a five minute phone call might turn into a several hundred dollar bill.
The other problem is time. If a busy business owner has to go out and find a lawyer who's available every time they have a legal question, they'll more often than not decide that it isn't worth the effort.
What Does a General Counsel Service Do?
A general counsel service is a lawyer or law firm who acts as an on-call lawyer for the business. Instead of setting up a legal department in a single company, they act as the legal department for a number of companies.
General counsel services are constantly available by phone and email. The quick questions that would have gone unasked can get a quick answer without any additional charge. This gives the business the same level of protection they would have with a full-time lawyer, but because the lawyer is shared with multiple companies, they don't have to pay the full-time cost.
To learn more about general counsel services, talk to a local business lawyer today.
Share27 January 2016
When it comes to your personal rights, how much do you really understand the law. About ten years ago, I realized that I didn't really understand my rights when I was accused of something that I knew I didn't do. I could tell that I needed to work with a lawyer who had a better understanding of what I was up against, so I contacted a local team that could help. They were really incredible to work with, and I was impressed with how well they were able to fight the charges. This blog is here for anyone struggling with legal drama.