While many businesses don’t want to hire a commercial litigation lawyer, most of them will need one at some point. In fact, most business owners don’t give thought to how to deal with professionals such as auditors, bankers, and lawyers. They just dive into business and don’t think about how such professionals can do for them and their clients. However, the following incredible tips can help companies to establish stable relationships with their attorneys.
1. Set Expectations
Whether you’re starting a new relationship with an attorney or reestablishing an existing one, entrepreneurs should work with their attorneys to set their expectations. Agree on issues such as the methods of communication you would prefer, how long you would like the lawyer to return calls or respond to your email, and how often you expect them to provide an update. Hire an hourly attorney to keep conflicts related to money at bay.
2. Pay Your Bill
Commercial litigation attorneys are often pressed for time and can take more work than they can manage. As such, business lawyers will most likely choose to work for clients who pay their bill on time. Therefore, one of the ways to establish a long-lasting relationship with a commercial litigation attorney is to pay their bill on time.
3. Avoid Time Wastage
Lawyers value their time, and clients should avoid chitchat and be concise with requests unless they expect to pay for the privilege. Moreover, businesses should avoid long phone calls and rambling emails to repeat what they had already agreed with their attorney. Clients that are polite and concise are more likely to get regular and effective communication from their legal representatives.
4. Understand the Role of Your Attorney and Accept their Advice
A commercial litigation attorney has to represent an enterprise in various professional ethical rules and the court system. While the role of a business lawyer is to describe options to accomplish your goals and advise you on legal issues, they have the right to decide on some legal procedures. A commercial litigation lawyer will just lay out options and leave an entrepreneur to make a decision based on their project costs, risk tolerance, and business goals.
5. Prepare Yourself
Everyone must be aware of what they want their legal representatives to accomplish. Moreover, every business should let its attorney know its goals and what would be acceptable and unacceptable results. Your commercial litigation attorney also wants to know you concerns and what you are willing to give up. As such, an enterprise need to gather up all details that the lawyer may need such as addresses, names, phone number, and copies of contracts. Helping your attorney be more efficient can set the performance standard higher, increase chances of better results, and lower your bill.
