No matter what the issue, whether it has to do with your personal or professional life, the more people that get involved, the messier it gets. Not to mention, the internet is making it easier than it has ever been before for us all to do things on our own that would have required professional help just a few years ago.
You can do your own bookkeeping without the need to hire an accountant, you can file your own taxes online, and much more. The opportunity to deal with a lot of legal matters on your own is there too, but that doesn’t mean you should.
Some things you may be able to do on your own, but if you’re facing one of these five situations, it’s important that you hire the assistance of a professional legal advisor.
Forming a Business Entity
Forming a business is an exciting endeavor, but it can also be a risky one. Without the right support, you could end up making a bad decision before your business even gets off the ground, especially if you decide to form a business entity on your own.
Although you can file an entity yourself, you won’t know which one is the best for your business unless you consult a legal advisor, like Anderson Advisors. They will help you choose between entities that include:
- Sole Proprietorship
- General Partnership
- Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
- C Corporation
- Sub-chapter S Corporation
Filing for a Patent
Creating a product that’s all your own is the goal of many businesses. If you want to keep it that way for as long as possible, you need to file a patent.
Filing a patent is a confusing, time-consuming process. That’s where the phrase ‘patent pending’ came about. If you want the process to go as quickly as possible, with as little stress as possible, you need help from a professional advisor.
Not only can they help you file a patent, they can help you decide if it’s really a good idea. Because they are so time consuming and costly, you may find that filing a patent isn’t such a good idea after all.
Creating Contracts and Non-Disclosure Agreements
There are plenty of online templates that you can follow when creating a contract or a non-disclosure agreement, but there’s a reason why so many businesses continue to turn to a legal advisor for help.
If any holes or cracks can be found in the contract, you can bet that someone will take advantage of it. Not to mention, they can make sure that the contracts and non-disclosure agreements are unique to your business.
They can also help you with buy-sell agreements. These make it easy to transfer ownership if one of your business partners decides to back out of the business.
Litigation
When people think of hiring an attorney, they think of the courtroom. It makes sense that you would want to hire a legal advisor if you’re being litigated, but it’s a surprisingly fuzzy area.
Simple proceedings, like parking tickets, probably won’t require an attorney, but what if you’re engaged in a civil dispute? Or what if you owe thousands of dollars in parking tickets? When in doubt, you should hire a litigation attorney.
This is especially the case if a lot of money is at stake. Your reputation counts too. Even if a lot of money isn’t involved, if it will affect your personal or professional reputation, you need to hire an attorney.
Estate Planning
A few lucky people go their entire lives without needing assistance from an attorney. That is, until they get to the end of their lives.
It doesn’t matter how much stuff you have, you need help from a professional legal advisor. They can make sure your belongings and property end up in the right hands so you don’t have to worry about family members arguing over your stuff when you’re gone.
They do much more than help you plan for your stuff. They can also help you set up medical directives so you’re cared for the way you want in your final hours. They can also help you set up a power of attorney, so someone can speak legally on your behalf even if you can’t.
It’s true that there are some things you can do on your own, but there are many more that require a bit more professional help. When it doubt, it never hurts to reach out to a legal advisor. If nothing else, they’ll provide you with peace of mind knowing you made the right decision.
