Don’t DIY Your General Counsel

By: Michael Safren, Esq.

As a small business owner, you face important legal questions and issues on an almost daily basis.  Whether it’s reviewing contracts, dealing with employee issues, handling tax questions, wondering how you can limit your personal liability, complying with your industries regulations, or addressing disputes with other parties, the legal needs of a small business are extensive. 

Some businesses hire an attorney as an employee of the business to act as a “general counsel.”  Other businesses pay an attorney a monthly fee plus the attorney’s hourly rate to serve as a “general counsel” and advise and represent the business.

For most small businesses, however, it just does not make financial sense to hire a full-time legal advisor.  The cost of counsel is too great and the legal issues tend to cluster in recurring areas that require repeated consultation with an attorney on a regular basis.

At the same time, it is foolish and ill-advised to ignore legal issues or forego legal counsel to try to Do It Yourself (DIY) just because you are afraid of the costs of hiring an attorney and paying that attorney by the hour.  Indeed, trying to DIY it and address these issues independent of counsel and without the benefit of legal advice can put your business and potentially your personal assets at risk. 

I’ve written about some of these risks in previous articles including issues with putting your personal assets at risk from a business liability, drafting and reviewing your own contracts, avoiding complicated problems such as legal questions involving employees and selecting the appropriate business structure.

To help business owners solve the problem of gaining access to legal counsel and advice while still managing the cost of legal assistance, The Law Offices of Jenny Ling, PLLC offers a monthly subscription service to its clients.  The monthly subscription plans offer access to our legal services at a predictable and manageable price.  To better match the specific needs of your business, we offer various levels of service within the subscription plans to ensure that your business is getting the legal assistance it needs, when it needs it.  Our plans range from an annual review of your business structure, commercial lease and insurance coverage to a customized plan tailored to your specific legal needs. 

Running a small business is challenging.  The Law Offices of Jenny Ling, PLLC is experienced in helping businesses navigate through the complex challenges of the ever changing business and legal climate.  Contact our office to get further information about our subscription plans for businesses or if you need legal assistance.  

Michael Safren is a Partner at The Law Offices of Jenny Ling, PLLC.  His practice focuses on business, real estate, civil litigation and probate.