yanal or yanml but how do I get a lawyer??

June 11, 2013 2:27 PM

I am starting up a small business and need some legal work done. I want to optimize the following two variables: quality of work, affordability of work.

So I need a lawyer to help with with business contract review and any other issues that might come up. Contract review is probably the majority of the work involved- specifically sales distribution, consulting agreements, and finder fee agreements. I need your suggestions for how to get some affordable help that will still be good quality.

1) how to find a lawyer (I tried submitting a request through Nolo which didn't work out so well)? any particular web-sites you've found handy?

2) strategies for minimizing costs with a lawyer generally (currently considering: asking for a flat rate for page of contract review, asking for a junior instead of a senior lawyer, seeking a 'lawyer coach' that can help me fine-tune documents that I have already drafted, using something like rocketlawyer (any one have experience with this or a similar product, what did you think??)

3) What is the minimum range that I should expect to pay?

Thank you for your kind input! I know that a lot of these questions seem fairly general, and that there is a lot on the web addressing these questions, but J need the kind of insight that only AskMe can provide :)

posted by cacao to Law & Government (6 answers total)

1. Referrals are a pretty good way to find lawyers; ask your friends if they know any lawyers, even if they don't know lawyers in the field. Make those connections, and start asking for referrals from there. Online research isn't particularly handy, aside from occasionally skimming through bios.

2. Don't try your own hand at drafting legal documents, but have a very clear idea of what you want the lawyer to do. E.g. "I need a contract for my vendors that gives them an incentive to make deliveries on time, and if the products break they should reimburse me. Oh, and if the products hurt somebody, that should be their problem and not mine." Don't worry about providing form contracts for them to tweak; if the attorney works in the field those will already be lying around. Junior attorneys tend to be cheaper than senior attorneys, but often their work is double-checked by senior attorneys, increasing your costs. It's more an issue of finding the right attorney for the job; on paper, I'd say your ideal fit is a 5-7 year attorney at a small firm, but it's largely an issue of finding someone who can do the work you need done at a fair price and communicate with you through the process.

3. Price depends completely on your location and the type of work you need done. The Big Giant Ballpark would probably be somewhere between $75/hr and $500/hr, with a lot of attorneys falling around $150/hr. Though a few will do work on flat rates, the billable hour is the standard method of charging clients in the legal world, especially for non-repetitive work.
posted by craven_morhead at 2:41 PM on June 11, 2013

Seconding referrals. The key is to have a full discussion with several lawyers to get an idea of the prices they are offering. Even if it costs money, comparison shop.
posted by Ironmouth at 2:50 PM on June 11, 2013

Best answer: 1) Your state bar may run a lawyer referral service, or you could try a local bar association (Google for "[your county] Bar Association"). If you've ever used a lawyer for anything (and you liked him/her) then a referral from that person is often your best bet. If not, then part of what you're buying with this engagement is acquaintance and experience with a lawyer whom you can subsequently ask for referrals to other practice areas.

2) Some lawyers are happy to accommodate goals like that, while others are really more interested in doing all the work (and billing for it). My personal approach is to try to explain the options and trade-offs so that my clients can decide what they want to do. Then, if it's something they can do themselves (and they want to do it) I'll point them in the right direction and let 'em go. I consider the value I offer to lie largely in educating clients to understand what's going on, rather than just telling them what to do. Some people don't want that, though, and so I'm not a good lawyer for them.

3) Prices depend on location, types of service, and (often) the range of services the firm could provide. If you select a large firm, some lawyer there will probably be able to help you no matter what comes up in the future, but you may pay more for the convenience of "one-stop shopping." A small firm or solo lawyer who practices in your area may be more affordable, but may have to refer out other work (e.g., your divorce, adoption, DUI charge, estate planning work, tax dispute, or patent application).

Many lawyers are scrambling for business now, so you should take advantage of the opportunity to meet several potential attorneys to see if you click (as well as to find out their billing rates). It's really worth it to find a lawyer who's willing and able to do what you need him to do, as well as one who fits your budget.
posted by spacewrench at 2:51 PM on June 11, 2013

A common practice for me is to quote a particular project on a "not to exceed" basis. I expect it will take x hours, so the NTE quote is for x times my hourly rate. If there is some unexpected complication that will lead to more time, I will contact the client, let him know what it is, and the next projected chunk of time. That way, I don't end up spending 4 or 6 times x hours without the client knowing, and my client does not receive an unexpectedly high bill. (Sometimes, if it takes x + 1 hours, I just do it and don't charge it.)
posted by yclipse at 2:53 PM on June 11, 2013

Seconding "ask your state bar." It looks like you are in Philly, so the Pennsylvania State Bar should be able to help.
posted by tacodave at 4:59 PM on June 11, 2013

Response by poster: Thank you for all of your suggestions!
posted by cacao at 5:27 PM on June 16, 2013