Top 3 tips to choosing the best lawyer for SMEs

Posted on the 14th April 2016 by Susan Curtis in SME blog

If you’re running a business, you’re most likely going to need a lawyer at some point. Once you’ve grown to a certain size, there comes a point where you need to stop constructing your legals through downloading a template and actually get professional advice.

Our friends at Lexoo can help as they match businesses with lawyers. Small business owners can often struggle when it comes to choosing the best lawyer for their business and Lexoo makes the process easier. Here are Lexoo’s top three tips.

1. Find a specialist

It is important to find a solicitor who specialise in the type of legal work you require.  No solicitors are specialists in all types of law and it can often be overwhelming for small businesses trying to work through this minefield and determine the right lawyer to talk to. 

For instance, if you are looking for terms and conditions for your mobile application, there are lawyers who specialise in this area. Not only will they know what protections to include, but they’ll also know the exact requirements for iTunes and Google Play to minimise the chances of your app being rejected. A generalist contract lawyer will need to spend a tonne of time researching these requirements, or at worst will dive in and risk getting it wrong.

2. Ask for a fixed quote

Working on a fixed-fee basis, for specified deliverables, means that you can pose questions and research details without the risk of being charged extra fees.

If a lawyer refuses to work on a fixed-fee quote and is adamant on working through hourly billing (because of the specific nature of the work), ensure they can prove how and why this benefits you.

3. Budget for disbursements

Many legal jobs require costs for things that are not strictly ‘professional fees’, such as government charges, court filing fees, search fees, and duties and taxes. Barrister fees are called ‘disbursements’, and all of these costs can significantly increase what you were originally planning to spend.

Do ask your solicitor about an estimate of disbursements so that you can minimise the risk of any nasty surprises.

Lexoo can help your business find specialist lawyers

Our friends at Lexoo help match businesses with lawyers.

Here’s how Lexoo works:

•   Businesses post a job by submitting a few details.

•   We send it out to the lawyers within the Lexoo community who would be most suitable. We choose several who best fit your case and budget.

•   You receive multiple fixed-fee quotes from qualified and insured lawyers, for free and usually within 24 hours.

 

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