When is it time to call in a Houston business lawyer? You may need one for these common purposes.
BUSINESS CONTRACTS
Dealing with business contracts can prove tricky. You want to make sure that you maintain industry compliance, build protections for your business, and keep all the information in those contracts legal. A Houston business lawyer can help you meet those goals and make sure you miss out on none of the details your business really needs.
BUSINESS FORMATION
Forming a new business is a big step. You want to make sure that you fill out all the relevant information correctly, including submitting the data you need to legally operate your business in your state and making sure that your tax records are in order. With a Houston business lawyer, you can make sure that all of those critical details are in order to get your business off to a great start.
SMALL BUSINESS GENERAL COUNSEL
Often, you may need to bring in an attorney to handle minor issues for your small business. You may need advice that could help you spot potential legal liabilities or guide you through tricky spots. You may need a Houston business lawyer to offer suggestions when you find yourself on the receiving end of legal action from a customer or another company. Many small businesses do not have the funds needed to retain a full-time general counsel. Working with a Houston business lawyer on an as-needed basis, however, can help you keep up with those critical details.
BUSINESS CONSULTING
Do you have legal questions that you need to have addressed? A Houston business lawyer can help consult on those vital questions and give you more information about the steps you need to take next, from the specific compliance issues you might be facing to more general questions about the insurance you need or how to protect your business through every contract you write.
Business owners need to undergo careful legal and strategic planning in order to have a long-lasting, successful business. We provide the long-term support your business truly needs.
You may have already noticed that here at Stafford Law Firm we do things a bit differently. We do our best to avoid the legalese and our aim is to make you as confident as possible throughout the legal process. We know firsthand what goes into owning a business – because we’ve been there.
We are entrepreneurs and small business owners just like you. We know the time and energy that goes into starting, growing, and maintaining a business that leaves a mark on the world.
You’re excited about your business and proud of the work that you do. We’re here to help.
In order for you to fully understand how we set ourselves apart, it is important to know what you would expect if you were to work with a traditional business lawyer.
From what we have seen (and experienced ourselves) it is not uncommon for a business owner to have a seriously lackluster relationship with their lawyer. If you were to work with a traditional business lawyer, you can expect to have an experience that more or less sticks to the following playbook.
You find a lawyer who seems smart and capable, and based on their rapid-fire legalese, they appear to know what they are doing. You’ll nod along to their questions and answer the short questions they ask you. You know you should incorporate your business, so you have your lawyer draw up the documents and you go ahead and sign them.
Later, you’ll get back to your office, put your copy of the documents in a special folder, and with a sigh of relief you’ll check off “business formation documents” on your to-do list. But now what? Chances are you won’t think twice about your business lawyer – until something happens.
Maybe one day you hear about a change in tax law, but without having a relationship with your lawyer, you are unaware of how this law impacts your business. Or even worse, what if you are facing an employee lawsuit or client complaint? Without the proper legal strategies in place, and without proper records being kept, a situation like this has the potential to be devastating to a small business.
On average the IRS performs audits on unincorporated businesses upwards of 5-7 times more often than incorporated entities. It appears as though the IRS believes that any business not set up correctly, probably does not pay their taxes correctly either.
Starting a business with a rock-solid foundation is the best way to make sure that you have the strength and space needed to grow. A business lawyer dedicated to building long-lasting relationships with their clients will ensure you always have a partner to depend on.
What sets us apart from the other business lawyers you may be speaking with, is that we are built to help nurture your business’s needs. Even if your business does not need (or cannot afford) an in-house general counsel, does not mean that your business doesn’t need some kind of legal support and counsel. We are here to be that support.
We know that as a business owner you have a lot on your plate. Your business is growing and in order to keep up, you are looking to make things as easy and efficient as possible. You want to feel confident that all of the little details have been taken care of so that you can focus on the big picture and always have your eyes on the future..
We have created a system of strategic ongoing support in order to make sure you have access to the legal assistance your business needs in order to grow with meaning and continue on your path towards a serious profit.
When you need help, you shouldn’t have to worry about what it will cost you to reach out with a simple question. We encourage all of our clients to get in contact with us whenever they feel the need. Our fee structure ensures that you will not pay exorbitant fees anytime you have a simple request.
A Houston business lawyer is a trusted legal advisor who can help offer the vital protection your business needs. If you are not in compliance with the legal mandates that govern your industry, from local codes and requirements to federal regulations, it could cause you to lose your business, or leave you facing immense fines and penalties that could bankrupt the business. A claim against you from a client, competitor, or other entity could leave you in equally precarious straits.
With a Houston business lawyer, on the other hand, you’ll have a trusted legal advisor that can guide you through any challenges your business might face–and perhaps more importantly, set you up for success from the beginning. An external Houston business lawyer, rather than one employed internally with your organization, has no personal agendas or challenges that could prevent them from offering the legal advice and support that your business needs at every stage, whether you’re launching a new business or moving forward with new plans in your industry.
Every small business can benefit from having a lawyer when they need one most. An experienced lawyer can help protect your business and guide you as you make vital business decisions that could impact the future of your company. With an experienced business lawyer on your side, you can improve your ability to deliver the high standard of excellence expected in your industry while continuing to protect you, your business, and the members of your staff.
Whenever you find yourself needing to reach out to our office, you can be sure you won’t need to wait for hours or days in order to get a response. Here at Stafford Law Firm, we pride ourselves on being easily accessible and on responding to all client inquiries as soon as possible.
The fact of the matter is, one day your business will need legal assistance. Whether that be for business formation, drafting contracts, planning the business’s succession, or simply general counsel, we can help.
Schedule your free consultation right away to discuss your business’s legal needs.
We are here to protect you, your family, and your business. Schedule a free consultation to discuss the best way to protect your future.
A business lawyer can offer critical guidance and expertise on the law as it applies to your business. From advice on compliance and risk management to guidance when there is a legal issue that you have to address, a business lawyer can provide you with more information about how to protect your business: how to design contracts that will help protect you, how to make sure that you remain in compliance with the law, and how to handle your employees.
Working with an attorney can be a vital first step in launching a new business and ensuring that you do it correctly. A Houston business lawyer can provide you with critical guidance about what you need to really get your business off the ground, from how you should take care licensing and business registration to how to handle employees, file taxes, and ensure that you are in compliance with local, state, and federal standards.
A Houston business attorney can also help go over your business plans, including both short-term and long-term plans, and give you critical advice about how to proceed legally–and how to protect your business while you do it. Having the right legal protections in place can make a huge difference when a challenge comes up, whether it’s ensuring that you’re in compliance before you’re audited by local governing authorities or how to ensure that you’re managing your employees legally and correctly.
As a small business, you may not have the funds to hire a lawyer to oversee your business from the inside. However, forming a relationship with a Houston business lawyer–and having that lawyer regularly review your legal decisions–can help set your business up for success. If you do not already have a lawyer that you work with on a regular basis, it’s the perfect time to begin that relationship.
