As an entrepreneur, retaining the services of a corporate lawyer is a vital task. Whether you are launching a venture, managing legal documents or striving to comply with regulations – making sure to have a knowledgeable and reliable legal professional by your side is indispensable. Unfortunately, not every legal expert prioritizes the welfare of his/her clients. There are unfortunate cases of entrepreneurs getting duped or overcharged while dealing with corporate lawyers. To make sure that this doesn’t happen to you, we’ve collected three guidelines to safeguard both yourself and your business from such issues.
1. Conduct Thorough Research and Due Diligence
Making sure that an informed decision has been made means conducting extensive research. Essential to this process is the completion of due diligence. Doing so ensures maximum potential for success when making decisions about hiring the right leading corporate commercial lawyers in Australia.
If you want to ensure a successful relationship with your corporate attorney, it is key to undertake a substantial research effort. Don’t be satisfied with reviews or recommendations – do your due diligence. Look for a lawyer with experience in corporate law and seek someone who has worked with ventures that are similar to yours. Validate their certifications, involvements in organisations and any disciplinary issues. Moreover, arrange an introductory meeting in order to assess their communication ability, speed of response and compatibility with you and your firm.
To guarantee a successful project, all stakeholders must precisely outline both their roles and responsibilities. Detailed specifications should be incorporated to provide a solid foundation for the work. It is important that everyone involved is clear on what is expected of them so that objectives are reached with precision.
2. Clearly Define the Scope of Work
To avoid being caught unaware, it’s important to communicate openly and clearly with your corporate lawyer. Establish what your legal requirements and desired outcomes are, while keeping an eye on any potential deadlines. A written agreement or engagement letter, which outlines the scope of work, costs, and billing setup, can provide clarity and safeguard both parties’ interests. Make sure you are both on the same page from the start—this will help avert misunderstandings or disagreements that can result in extra billable hours.
It is paramount to stay on top of your billing statements, monitoring and reviewing them regularly. Doing so enables you to be proactive in the event of any inaccuracies or discrepancies in the accounts. It is imperative to review bills to ensure that you are paying only for what you agreed upon and are not being overcharged.
3. Monitor and Review Billing Statements
To optimise your legal expenses and avoid any type of misunderstandings or concerns, be sure to stay on top of your lawyer’s billing statements. Ask for itemised invoices including a description of the tasks completed, allocated time frames and the associated costs. As you review these documents, compare them to the original fee structure established in the initial engagement letter. If you observe any inconsistencies between the two, don’t delay bringing them up to your lawyer. A successful attorney-client relationship is contingent on strong communication; do not hesitate to speak honestly and openly regarding your billing worries.
Safeguarding yourself and your enterprise from potential roadblocks can be attained by carefully researching, outlining the duties precisely, and keeping a close eye on invoices.