For a company, no matter how small or new it may be, the advice of a lawyer is as important as the work of an accountant or finance consultant. The lawyer is the person in charge of dealing with legal issues, problems with customers, suppliers and even with workers.
For SMEs, contrary to what happens with large companies, it is not feasible to have a legal department within the organisation, so it is necessary to hire an external professional who has experience and knowledge of the field. The recommendation is to hire specific services from a law firm, for which a monthly amount is paid.
When contracting services for legal study, the recommendation is to consider the areas of Labour Law, Commercial and Administrative Law.
Commercial Law
In this aspect, the lawyer of a company focuses on the legal procedures involved in the process of creating the company, as well as the capital reductions or increases. You can also take charge of managing collections, adopting legal actions that are needed to get creditors to catch up on their payments.
Administrative law
This area involves the permits and licenses that the company requires to carry out its activity, authorisations, administrative concessions, etc. When it comes to SMEs, the lawyer also fulfils the role of informing the employer of what can and cannot be done in this condition, with the purpose of administrative sanctions.
Labour Law
Labour contracts, dealing with unions and processing permits for workers in special situations are some of the conditions in which a lawyer becomes strictly necessary for a company.
In short, what a simple view may seem like an extra expense, soon became the best investment. This is because in matters of legal matters, prevention is always the best alternative, having permanent advice on this subject can avoid monetary sanctions that in the future can be more painful and harmful.
Entrepreneurs need to look for a lawyer in order to get legal advice and protection. Many everyday situations have a great legal burden that is worth consulting with an expert to do things right and avoid future problems.
We have compiled eight reasons why it is necessary to have a lawyer in your company:
1. Shield your relationships with suppliers and customers
How many times do you have closed emails? How many clauses would you have eliminated from a contract but due to lack of knowledge or comments on it you just ignored it? A contract not only avoids many misunderstandings that often occur in advance how they act in case of disagreement. A lawyer will recommend clauses that foresee these situations and that protect us.
2. Stop the delinquency
The incidence of this problem in SMEs is high, but what many entrepreneurs ignore is that the impact of late payment can be reduced by paying attention to the administrative and legal details of day-to-day life: submitting a budget, requesting its acceptance, documenting the delivery of the product, etc. For all this, and to know if your bills are adjusted to the necessary legal requirements, or to clarify responsibilities in terms of delivery or quality, nothing better than picking up the phone and be able to consult with a lawyer in a quickly and easy way.
3. Avoid problems with the use of your customers’ data
What is an action as usual as sending an email to a customer with new offers? Can you assume a work account with your consent? The solution? Have a visitor with someone to be able to know any date, on a day to day basis, with the handling of personal data of customers and workers.
4. When you plan to hire a worker
It is advisable to have good professional advice to help you monitor the structure costs, advising you on which contracts benefit you the most, what rights and duties you have in front of the collaborators.
5. Compete in an online environment
The unstoppable rise of new technologies has forced companies to put the batteries when dealing with issues such as electronic commerce, personal data protection, electronic signature, sweepstakes and promotions or comply with the cookie policy. Although the legal aspects involved are not always clear, on the Internet not everything is valid and it must be taken into account that an infraction committed in the online environment can obtain much greater magnitudes due to the simple fact of its immediacy and numbers of people affected.
6. When family meals look like business meetings
If running a company is already a complicated task, also reconciling the interests of the family within it is much more difficult. The generational change, conflicts of interest, emotional involvement in the business world, informality or too many family members participating in the management, are problems that hinder the management of the business, impact on the results and even the continuity of the company.
7. If you are a franchisee
The franchise business expansion model has grown in recent years. For all those who have opened a franchise, it is important not only to understand the contract that binds them to the franchisor but also to know what their rights and obligations are against it.
8. It will help you survive in your business environment
The location of your company is key: a great investment and a strategic decision, that is why it is important to maintain a good relationship with the neighbours, with the community and every other aspect that affects your business directly or indirectly. Knowing what your rights and obligations are is fundamental.
Here at RS Chase Lawyers we will offer the assistance you require in order to improve your decisions on a daily basis and we will also offer you the protection you need in order to keep developing your business without any external issues. If you want someone to take care of the legal part in an effective way, contact us today.
