Why hire a Lawyer?
Engaging a Lawyer to provide legal advice or legal services to your business can rather challenging.
There are various issues and transactions that you need a Lawyer to advise you on or help you with. For example, Contracts Lawyers have the knowledge and expertise to draft clear, concise, and complete Contracts, so you should engage one to draft any Contracts for your business. Lawyers can identify potential legal issues that may arise within your business (such as risks and compliance issues) and advise on how to address them.
Additionally, Lawyers can help negotiate the terms of agreements with third parties, to ensure your businesses interests are protected – they can then revise and finalise the Contract and guide you through the execution process.
But once you’ve decided that you need a Lawyer, it’s common to ask, “How can I find a Lawyer?”
Unfortunately, there is no Instruction Manual on how to find a Lawyer, and no course on how you should work better with your Lawyer. This article will therefore give you some handy tips when it comes to working with your Lawyer.
What to Look for in a Lawyer
When engaging a Lawyer, it’s important to look for someone with experience in the area of law related to your transaction or project.
Your Lawyer should understand the relevant laws and regulations and the industry or field that governs your transaction or project.
It is also essential to find a responsive and communicative Lawyer who will take the time to understand yours and your businesses needs and interests.
But more than that, you need to get on personally with your Lawyer. You need to be comfortable telling them about problems and issues with your business without worrying they will judge you. You need to trust that they have your best interests at hand. And it helps if you actually like working with them – otherwise, it can be rather a chore to spend time with your Lawyer. (And trust me, there are many personable Lawyers out there, so if the one you meet doesn’t fit with your own personality, why not go looking for one that likes a laugh, will make working on your business more enjoyable and less stressful, who wants to build a long-term business relationship with you, and who loves the colour purple *cough*.
Remember too that, if you go to a larger Law Firm (mid-tier or top-tier), you are most likely not going to be working with the Partner you initially meet with. Their general practice is to delegate most tasks to their juniors, so this is a factor you should take into account.
Because Blaze Business & Legal is a boutique Law Firm, we purposefully keep our staff low, so that we are able to work with our clients all throughout the matter and build that long-term trust in each other. Many firms are unable to do so because of their pricing structure, however.
How can I find a Lawyer near me?
There are several ways to find a Lawyer near you if you need legal advice.
One option is to ask for referrals from friends or colleagues who have previously worked with Lawyers.
Another option is to search online for Lawyers in your area. Many Law Firms have websites that provide information about their services and areas of expertise. And Google is very good about taking into account your location and the location of the particular Lawyers they are showing you in their SERP results.
It is also possible to find Lawyers through Legal directories, Law Societies (eg the Queensland Law Society) or bar associations – some maintain a list just for this purpose, although they may not be able to advise anything beyond the name of the Law Firm and the Principal Practitioner.
Do I need to engage a local Lawyer
Times have changed, and unless you want to meet in person with your Lawyer, there is no need these days to engage a Lawyer in the same suburb or city as you. Blaze Business & Legal advises clients all across Australia, for example.
The exception to this is if you need legal advice in an area that differs from State to State – in that case, it may be prudent to engage a Lawyer with expertise in the laws of the State to which the matter relates.
We do generally recommend that you engage a Lawyer in your own country to advise you, mostly because the laws of your country will be different from the laws of other countries. If you carry out business internationally, you may wish to either engage a Lawyer in the jurisdiction where you are located, or else engage a Lawyer for a particular matter based on where that matter arises.
What things should I consider when searching for a Lawyer?
Here are some things to keep in mind when searching for a Lawyer:
- Most Lawyers have their own specialities, so it is usually not enough just to look for the Lawyer closest to you. For example, I specialise in Construction Law and Commercial Law, and I advise my clients on general Contractual issues through my Law Firm, Blaze Business & Legal. But I don’t advise on Family Law issues, nor Criminal Law, nor a majority of disputes.
- It’s therefore important when searching for a Lawyer, or discussing your issue with the Lawyer in your initial interview, to ask the Lawyer questions about what areas they specialise in.
- Most Lawyers offer an initial consultation for free, to gain an understanding of the reason you are coming to see them, make sure they are able to help you, and obtain enough information to be able to quote you a price to do your work. Make sure you find out whether this is the case with the Lawyer with whom you will be meeting.
- You should use the initial consultation meeting to make sure you feel comfortable with, and trust, the Lawyer – particularly if you will be working with them for a longer period of time.
Working with a Lawyer
When working with a Lawyer, it is essential to be clear about your needs and expectations. The Lawyer should be willing to listen to your concerns and provide advice and guidance based on your specific situation.
It is also essential to be responsive and communicative and provide any information or documentation the Lawyer requests on time. Your Lawyer will need you to given them additional information and answer any questions they have.
Once your Lawyer sends you their deliverable, you should read it carefully to make sure it accurately reflects your instructions and the relevant transaction. Keep in mind that it is difficult for a Lawyer to get everything 100% correct the first time, so most Lawyers expect there will need to be some edits made to the deliverable. This is particularly the case with Contracts, which often require 3 or 4 drafts to finalise.
Conclusion
We hope you found our tips on finding and working with a Lawyer useful. Have you ever been burnt when engaging a new Lawyer?
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About the Author
Rachelle Hare
Rachelle Hare is a highly experienced Construction Lawyer and Contract Lawyer, with over 23 years of experience in Tier 1 and Tier 2 Construction Firms, Top Tier Private Practice and Government.With 23+ years of experience as a Senior Lawyer, Strategic Contracting Adviser and Management Consultant in Construction Law, Contracts, Major Projects, Commercial Advisory, Compliance, Procurement, Contract Management and Risk Management, Rachelle has the rare skills to offer you seamless business advice and legal advice to help support your organisation.
As well as a Lawyer and Business Adviser, Rachelle has also acted as a Strategic Procurement Adviser, Compliance Manager, Strategic Risk Adviser and Commercial Manager.Rachelle owns Blaze Business & Legal, a combined Commercial Law Firm and Business Advisory Firm located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Blaze Business & Legal assists a broad range of clients in the Construction Industry and related industries, and advises owners, contractors, subcontractors, NFPs and other organisations on a broad range of Construction Law, Commercial Law, Business Advisory and Management Consulting issues in Brisbane, Queensland and around Australia. Rachelle also owns Blaze Professional Learning, where she offers practical contracting skills, hands-on experience in drafting and working with contracts, and industry insights to help Professionals upskill and advance their careers with real-world skills.
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