Many business owners, to save on cost, will choose to do their own legal research instead of asking for an attorney’s opinion on the contracts and agreements they have entered into. While that is possible—thanks to legal resources on the Internet such as journals, online forums, and even blogs and social media—it does not always mean that the things you have found out from your research are beneficial to your interests.
There are many reliable attorneys in Greenwood, Indiana who can advise you on personal and business matters that tend to go into the legal territory when neglected. Many small business owners struggle with employment contracts, dispute issues, and regulatory problems. However, they prefer to go to small claims court instead of consulting with a lawyer. The problem with this is that you don’t maximize the potential of your legal options and the course that you could have taken for the result to be beneficial to your business.
Having an attorney on retainer will give you access to legal advice 24/7. No matter what legal issue you find your business in, your attorney can provide you with insights on how to handle and manage the problems.
Retaining a Lawyer Is Less Expensive
Some businessmen don’t want the cost of paying a monthly or an annual fee to an attorney, thinking that they won’t need his services anyway. Hiring an attorney once you got your business entangled in a web of legal issues is actually more expensive compared to retaining one and being guided to the legal direction. A piece of legal advice can prevent your business from getting into legal trouble so that you won’t have to take the unnecessary route of facing a legal predicament.
A Retainer’s Fee Is Consumable but Non-refundable
The actual terms of how a retainer’s fee is to be used depend on the contract you have with the lawyer, but the general understanding is that the retainer’s fee is consumable. This means that charges incurred during a legal process will be billed against the retainer. The charges typically include attorney’s fees and payments for the legal staff as well. Individual rates are determined by the work they did for the legal process, as well as their education and expertise. The retainer’s fee, however, is non-refundable. You cannot withdraw it if it hasn’t been used during a particular month.
You Need a Multiskilled Lawyer
Hiring a lawyer with specific expertise might not be beneficial for your business. A small business owner might get into many kinds of legal problems in the course of running the business. You shouldn’t have to look for a new kind of lawyer every time a legal problem that’s different from his expertise crops up. You need a multiskilled lawyer who is knowledgeable in commercial, employment, contractual, and even criminal laws.
The Retainer’s Fee Is Like a Legal Budget
Any business, whether big or small, should have a legal budget available in case a legal problem crops up. A retainer’s fee will act as your legal budget. The bulk of the fees that you will incur during a legal process comes from your legal team. The retainer’s fee, aside from legal team’s fees, will also cover the costs of depositions, postage, long-distance phone charges, and travel.
Hire an attorney whom you can communicate with and who is going to lay out the different legal options you have for every legal problem you will encounter. Make sure that whoever you hire and pay a retainer’s fee for is someone who has the necessary experience and skills to handle your legal problems.
