How to Select a Business Partnership Dispute Lawyer in California

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As more entrepreneurs are flocking to California to do business, business partner disputes are becoming more common. While it will become obvious why you need a business dispute lawyer once you are staring down a summons, you actually need the help of a business attorney much earlier.

Business dispute lawyers can help you with partnership issues such as:

• Breach of fiduciary duty
• Embezzlement
• Contract dispute
• Commingling

Generally, business partnership dispute attorneys will ensure your partnership has set guidelines. "Prevention is the best way to reduce any litigious damage to your company," according to a business partnership dispute lawyer at the law firm California Business Lawyer & Corporate Lawyer, Inc.

How Much Do Lawyers Cost?

The price of an attorney will vary considerably, and a lawyer will set their price by taking into account the following factors:

• The location of their office
• If they are part of a large network of offices
• How experienced and skilled the attorney is
• The types of clients they have
• The size of their law firm
• Their areas of expertise

They will also employ a number of fee structures for different services, so when you are looking at small business lawyers, discuss their fees and fee structures. Ask when they will use the different types of fee structures and how they will bill you.

"Knowing their full policy will help you to make an informed decision and set a budget for your company. It will also help you to perform a cost-benefit analysis of when you should seek legal help and when you might be better finding another type of professional or handling matters yourself," said Brad Nakase a sexual harassment lawyer at the Nakase Law Firm. Business attorneys and consultants can help with a number of services and be much more cost-effective than an attorney.

5 Steps To Finding the Right Partnership Dispute Lawyer For Your Company

Finding a business lawyer does not need to be difficult, but you do need to spend time finding the right fit. Here are the five steps you need to take when finding an attorney.

1. Use legal directories to search for small business lawyers - There are plenty online, some organized by particular industry. The state bar website will have a long list of all current attorneys in your area, but that can be difficult to narrow down.
2. Research options - Research the lawyers you come across and look at their track record, reviews, and accolades. Use this to narrow down a shortlist of 3-7 that you want to meet.
3. Interview lawyers - Book a free consultation and ask plenty of questions. Think of it as a brief interview to see if they will be a good lawyer for your business.
4. Make your decision - Think through their answers and decide who you feel most comfortable with. Remember to consider the suitability of both the lawyer you spoke to and their law firm.
5. Hire them - Sign the paperwork and start seeing the benefits they bring to your company.

What Questions Should I Ask The Lawyer During The Interview?

Prepare questions before you go to the interview so that you get all the information you need. We recommend the following questions at least, but you need to write a list of information you need to make a decision. Speak to any business partners to ask them to add questions too. Don't make it too long, the consultation will have limited time and prioritize important questions at the top of the list.

• What is your experience?
• Tell me about how you have helped businesses with _ issue.
• Do you have any clients who are similar to my business?
• if I need specialist legal help, would you be able to refer me?
• Will you be my main point of contact? Will your team be dealing with my business on occasion?
• Tell me about your fees and billing options
• Do you foresee conflict of interests?
• How do you communicate with clients?