Though hiring a lawyer isn’t always necessary, there will likely come a time when you need to seek legal advice for your small business. It can be expensive to hire a lawyer, but their advice can be priceless. It’s much less expensive to hire a lawyer to do things properly when starting out than it is to hire a lawyer in an emergency when things go wrong.
What can a lawyer do for you?
Lawyers can give you invaluable advice at every stage of your business. Some things they can help you with:
- Choose and implement the right business structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, non-profit)
- Negotiate and complete contracts on your behalf
- Review lease agreements
- Protect your intellectual property
- Defend any legal action against you
- Prepare employee agreements
- Sell your business
Find out what type of lawyer you need.
Try to find a lawyer that specializes in the practice area you need. Business-related legal practice areas include:
- Company, commercial, and securities law: incorporation, buying and selling a business, drafting shareholders and partnership agreements, contracts, and service and purchase agreements
- Labour and employment law: negotiating and interpreting collective agreements, resolving disputes, explaining obligations, advising on strikes, lay-offs, and dismissals
- Civil litigation law: lawsuits, collecting debts, negotiating, and settling
- Real estate law: buying or selling land or property, negotiating a lease, solving landlords and tenants disputes, and mortgaging property
- Wills and estates: drafting or challenging a will, and managing estates
Compile a shortlist of potential lawyers.
How you can find qualified lawyers in your area:
- Ask your network for recommendations: reach out to friends, colleagues, and your business network for recommendations of lawyers they’ve had a positive experience with. While asking for recommendations can be a good starting point, it’s important to consider that they might have different needs and expectations.
- Contact lawyer referral services: the Alberta Law Society’s Lawyer Referral Service will give you contact information for three lawyers that could meet your needs.
- Call Legal Aid Alberta’s Alberta Law Line: Call toll-free at 1-866-845-3425 to find out if you qualify for Legal Aid Alberta‘s subsidized legal services.
- Search the internet: Make sure you verify the credentials and experience of anyone you find online.
