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How a Small Business Lawyer Can Help You
At some point, any business owner is likely to have contract legal questions. If you join LegalShield, you’ll be able to consult with a lawyer for an unlimited amount of minutes on an unlimited number of business legal matters, particularly around contract issues. Don’t stress about contract law—call your provider lawyer.
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3 Common Contract Situations
Whether you need to draft an employment contract, sign a lease for office
space or demand a customer pay you under an existing service agreement,
it’s important to understand the contract terms, the relevant law, and your
rights. When people enter into a contract, both parties hope the relationship
goes smoothly. However, in the event that something goes sideways, knowing
the documents you sign are drafted correctly, fair to both parties and
enforceable can reduce stress.
Select a Topic to Learn More:
Drafting Contracts
If you need a new contract drafted, you have three main options.
- You can download a template from the internet that’s relevant to your situation and fill in the details. The problem with this approach is that you may not be sure how good the template was in the first place or whether you filled it out correctly.
- You can hire a lawyer to draft it for you. If you hire an experienced contract lawyer, you’ll be confident that your agreement is legally sound. However, business lawyers charge between $150-$400 per hour and small businesses may struggle to afford such fees.
- You can download a template from a reputable website, fill it out and then have a business lawyer review your document to make sure you followed the law and have adequately protected your rights. For most situations, this option is the most cost effective way to get the protection you need at a price your business can afford.
A small business plan from LegalShield gives you access to lawyer drafted templates and the ability to consult with a business lawyer anytime you need advice. Also, you can submit business documents (up to 15 pages each) for review and feedback at no additional cost.
Signing Contracts
When you need to sign a contract on behalf of your business, you want to be confident you understand the terms and what you’re agreeing to. Here are a few areas to pay close attention to:
- Are the financial terms fair to you?
- Are you clear about the length of your commitment?
- Do you understand your agreement and your options for terminating the agreement early?
- Is there anything in the agreement that would make it unenforceable should you have to go to court?
- What changes should you request before signing? Are there any deal breakers?
- If the other party has requested changes, should you agree to their requests?
Rather than stress and guess, it’s best to have a lawyer review the agreement before you sign on the dotted line. This way you’ll be sure you are making the right moves for your business.
If you’d like help, join LegalShield today.
Enforcing Contracts
When someone breaches a contract, enforcement and resolution is based on three elements.
- The first step is to read the contract terms that apply to the breach in question and determine what the document dictates the resolution should be. Is the agreement simply terminated? Does one party owe the other party penalties? The terms tell the story.
- Another aspect of contract enforcement relates to the conduct of the parties after the initial breach. For example, it’s common to require the party that has been harmed to notify the other party of the breach within a specified period of time. Fail to follow the terms and the aggrieved party may have waive its right to enforce the contract.
- The final element is of course the law itself. While private parties can generally agree to whatever contract terms they want, contracts cannot violate any laws. Also, if the any terms of the contract are confusing or contradictory, contract law and past case law may be used to settle the dispute.
Whether you are trying to enforce a service contract with a customer or a landlord is claiming you’ve breached your office lease, it’s best to discuss the circumstances with a lawyer and have them review the agreement before taking action. It’s important that you get legal advice as soon as possible so you don’t inadvertently waive any of your rights or nullify the contract.
A Legal Plan that Gives
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Need to be Successful
Renters have rights under federal and state law.
Our experienced provider lawyers are here to
advise you on how and when to exercise your rights.
Select a Topic to Learn More:
Drafting Contracts
If you need a new contract drafted, you have three main options.
- You can download a template from the internet that’s relevant to your situation and fill in the details. The problem with this approach is that you may not be sure how good the template was in the first place or whether you filled it out correctly.
- You can hire a lawyer to draft it for you. If you hire an experienced contract lawyer, you’ll be confident that your agreement is legally sound. However, business lawyers charge between $150-$400 per hour and small businesses may struggle to afford such fees.
- You can download a template from a reputable website, fill it out and then have a business lawyer review your document to make sure you followed the law and have adequately protected your rights. For most situations, this option is the most cost effective way to get the protection you need at a price your business can afford.
A small business plan from LegalShield gives you access to lawyer drafted templates and the ability to consult with a business lawyer anytime you need advice. Also, you can submit business documents (up to 15 pages each) for review and feedback at no additional cost.
Signing Contracts
When you need to sign a contract on behalf of your business, you want to be confident you understand the terms and what you’re agreeing to. Here are a few areas to pay close attention to:
- Are the financial terms fair to you?
- Are you clear about the length of your commitment?
- Do you understand your agreement and your options for terminating the agreement early?
- Is there anything in the agreement that would make it unenforceable should you have to go to court?
- What changes should you request before signing? Are there any deal breakers?
- If the other party has requested changes, should you agree to their requests?
Rather than stress and guess, it’s best to have a lawyer review the agreement before you sign on the dotted line. This way you’ll be sure you are making the rights moves for your business.
If you’d like help, join LegalShield today and you can get legal advice on any documents in 4 hours or less after initial contact.
Enforcing Contracts
When someone breaches a contract, enforcement and resolution is based on three elements.
- The first step is to read the contract terms that apply to the breach in question and determine what the document dictates the resolution should be. Is the agreement simply terminated? Does one party owe the other party penalties? The terms tell the story.
- Another aspect of contract enforcement relates to the conduct of the parties after the initial breach. For example, it’s common to require the party that has been harmed to notify the other party of the breach within a specified period of time. Fail to follow the terms and the aggrieved party may have waive its right to enforce the contract.
- The final element is of course the law itself. While private parties can generally agree to whatever contract terms they want, contracts cannot violate any laws. Also, if the any terms of the contract are confusing or contradictory, contract law and past case law may be used to settle the dispute.
Whether you are trying to enforce a service contract with a customer or a landlord is claiming you’ve breached your office lease, it’s best to discuss the circumstances with a lawyer and have them review the agreement before taking action. It’s important that you get legal advice as soon as possible so you don’t inadvertently waive any of your rights or nullify the contract.
Learn About Other Contract Law Topics
Select a topic to learn more:
Demand for Payment
Independent Contractors
Sales / Service Contracts
Lease Agreements
Eviction
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How LegalShield Works
Finding solutions to your legal issues doesn’t have to be stressful, complicated or expensive.
LegalShield puts the power of legal representation within reach of any individual, family, or business. We work hard to make it easy, simple, and affordable to get the legal help you need, when you need it.
Krizia Verplancke of provider firm Davis, Miles, McGuire, Gardner has been serving LegalShield members since 2017.
Spencer Tadashi Schiefer of provider firm Davis, Miles, McGuire, Gardner has been serving LegalShield members since 2011.
Michael E. Medina Jr. of provider firm Davis, Miles, McGuire, Gardner has been serving LegalShield members since 1993.
How LegalShield Works
How LegalShield Works
Finding solutions to your legal issues doesn’t have to be stressful, complicated or expensive.
LegalShield puts the power of legal representation within reach of any individual, family, or business. We work hard to make it easy, simple, and affordable to get the legal help you need, when you need it.
Krizia Verplancke of provider firm Davis, Miles, McGuire, Gardner has been serving LegalShield members since 2017.
Spencer Tadashi Schiefer of provider firm Davis, Miles, McGuire, Gardner has been serving LegalShield members since 2011.
Michael E. Medina Jr. of provider firm Davis, Miles, McGuire, Gardner has been serving LegalShield members since 1993.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pre-paid legal plan and how does it work?
Instead of paying a lawyer by the hour, you pay a small fee (starting at $24.95/month for personal and $49/month for small business) and have access to an independent lawyer that will provide a huge variety of legal services without a huge legal bill. Services like consultation with a lawyer, document review, drafting of debt collection letters and defense at civil trials are included as standard benefits. Using the plan just once can save you literally thousands of dollars.
Using the plan is as simple as signing up and contacting our team. Once you’re a member, customer support will connect you with an independent lawyer in your area who specializes in the specific legal issue with which you need help. Also, you can download our super-simple app to quickly access your legal benefits and member perks anytime.
How long after I join can I use the plan?
You can use your plan as soon as your membership application is reviewed and your account is set up. The review process takes 12-24 hours (or less) from the moment you purchase your plan (on regular business days). Once accepted, you can be in contact with a lawyer and begin to use the plan benefits and member perks outlined in the membership agreement right away.
How much can I save with a membership?
The average lawyer in the U.S. charges between $150-$400 per hour. If you use your membership for even just a few hours a year you could easily save over $1,000. If you have a bunch of small legal issues or one rather complicated issue, you can easily save multiple thousands of dollars over hiring a lawyer directly. Not to mention the stress you’ll save by having a lawyer on call instead of trying to handle legal issues yourself.
Also, the lawyers in our network often help our members recover thousands of dollars of damages or avoid thousands of dollars in fees over what they would have experienced had they tried to resolve the legal issue themselves. Obviously, every member and usage situation is different, but when used correctly, your membership can easily save significant amounts of money. Not to mention savings from our member perks.