Hiring a Business Attorney: Questions to Ask

If you're in the market for a business attorney, you may soon find you have a plethora of choices. This is especially true if you live in a major metropolitan area. But while there is no shortage of lawyers in this country, not every lawyer was created equally. This is why you need to be thorough when choosing one for your purposes. Whether you are trying to get a small company off the ground, are already in charge of a successful brand, or just need someone to handle a small matter, it pays to get someone who is worth the money. Here are some questions you should ask before considering a hire.

What do you charge?

This is a matter that many people feel uncomfortable bringing up for some reason. Think of it like buying a product from a store. Would you hesitate to ask how much it was before you told the cashier to ring it up? What if it crossed the sensor and turned out to be twice as expensive as you thought? Would you buy it anyway or have it put back? There are probably scenarios where you would buy it anyway, but you should at least know how much you're paying before you buy something. The same goes for hiring a business attorney. Don't wait to be surprised by a bill in the mail two months from now.

Will you be there to answer my calls?

If you're hiring a business attorney to represent you in an ongoing type of situation, you'll want to make sure you're getting someone who will actually be around. This is one of the most common complaints people have when talking about the lawyers they've worked with. To a degree, it's understandable. Lawyers are often extremely busy. However, they should not be so busy that they have no time to answer questions from their clients. Now, you're obviously not going to get an entirely honest answer from this question, but it's something you can probably discern quickly and make a change if the relationship isn't working out.

What is your experience?

Hiring a business attorney is about more than just making sure he has general experience in the field. You want someone who has a wealth of experience with your specific area. If you are running a small hardware company, you don't want a lawyer who has been working with major Wall Street firms for the last ten years. The same is true in reverse. Look for a lawyer who won't have to play catch-up to get acclimated with your needs.