Setting up and managing a business of any size can feel like an incredibly complicated process. The work never stops, and it can be hard to prioritise what needs doing first. While some things can wait, in general, legal advice is something that you’ll need to prioritise over other, less pressing issues.
You can’t just get that advice from anywhere – you need to get the right kind of legal assistance from a fully qualified and experienced law firm. Here’s how you start with that process.
What do you need help with?
The first step in seeking legal advice for any situation is to work out what it is that you actually need legal advice with. Potential areas where you may need assistance as a business can be quite diverse, and depending on your niche and what you need help with, you’ll likely need to go with different legal options.
Areas where you may need assistance could include ensuring legal compliance with certain regulations, or setting up a well-thought-out business structure that’s optimised for your specific situation. Firms such as Weightmans will be able to help with multiple areas, but it’s still important to know what you need from them. Once you’ve worked out what you need help with, you can start your search.
Search & referrals
The best way to find a competent legal service is generally through referrals. If you know other business owners in your niche or a similar area, then ask around to see if they have a law firm that’s provided quality advice in the past.
You should also do some research online, going through respected legal services such as The Legal 500. Do your due diligence and check each firm you find, to see what experience other businesses have had with the firm in question. Not all law firms are created equal, and it’s important to weed out any potentially problematic options.
Consultation
Once you’ve made a shortlist of potentially suitable options, you can arrange for an initial consultation with the best ones. A law firm might look great on paper, but you need more than that – for legal advice to be optimal, you need to be able to communicate effectively with your solicitor, and they need to be able to communicate complex legal matters to you in simple terms.
During that initial consultation, make sure that you have a list of important questions that you can ask. The law firm should also be able to lay out their fee structure, so you can see if they’ll be able to help you within your budget. Legal advice isn’t something that you want to scrimp and save on, but there will also obviously be budget-related limitations involved.
It’s important that you make the right choice – hopefully, you’ll be able to form an ongoing professional relationship that lasts for years to come. It’s a tricky process, but one that absolutely deserves some time and effort, as it’ll save you a lot of trouble further down the line.
