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No matter which industry your company exists within, there will come a time when you need the services of a specialist solicitor. While everything might be running fine at the moment, business owners need to understand that problems will arise. That means they are going to need some professional help. There are many reasons for that, some of which you will read about today. It’s usually a good idea to find a good legal representative before any issues present themselves. That is why we implore you to get in touch with a qualified expert in your local area at the earliest possible opportunity. If a solicitor is already familiar with your business and what you do to make a profit, they are more likely to act fast when something bad happens. At the end of the day, you are taking a serious risk operating without legal representation, and it could backfire tremendously.
Whether you’re looking for commercial solicitors in London, Birmingham, Manchester or any other major UK city, the internet is your friend. By performing a simple Google search, you should find lots of different specialists within a reasonable distance of your premises. The best solicitors in the country might be a long distance away you, and that can be a problem. You need to locate a representative who is capable of visiting your place of work if possible. Just remember, good solicitors charge hundreds of pounds per hour for their help. For that reason, it is vitally important that you select the right one. Being out of pocket isn’t so bad if you come out on top.
Hiring employees
It is vitally important you act in a legal manner when hiring new employees. That means you will have to consider all their employment rights, and perhaps even offer them a legally-binding contract. Unless you understand the law, you will need a solicitor to help you with all that. Thankfully, services of what nature don’t cost too much money. Still, it’s best to make sure you’re covered. Also, there will be lots of legal stipulations when it comes to the type of people you can employ. In most instances, it is not a good idea to give a job to anyone under the age of eighteen. That is because you cannot insure them for any role that involves heavy lifting or working nights.
Firing employees
When it comes to the disciplinary process and firing employees, you’re going to need some expert legal advice. Remember, a significant number of small businesses go bankrupt each year due to unfair dismissal claims. Considering that, you need to ensure you always make the right move. A good solicitor will offer all the advice you might require.
Dealing with employee disputes
Maybe one of your team is complaining about working conditions, or perhaps they feel you have given a warning unfairly. Either way, employee disputes can be a real headache for some business owners. Having a qualified legal representative on-side should mean you never make the wrong moves.
Expanding into new markets
Like it or not, you can’t just start trading abroad without taking certain legal precautions. Some of the products you sell might contain parts that are illegal or controlled in other countries. Also, you might need to get licenses to provide certain goods. A solicitor will be in the best position to offer advice relating to what you need to do to keep everyone happy. It is important that you always stay within the law when expanding into new markets.
Settling corporate disputes
There might come a time when one of your competitors tries to take you to court for stealing their ideas. That could sound a little over the top, but it’s true. The corporate world is filled with people who would like nothing more than to see you fail, and attacking your finances is the best way to do that. Your solicitor should be capable of dealing with all issues of that nature, leaving you free to continue working on your company.
Getting patents and copyrights
Presuming you design and sell original products, you might need a solicitor to help deal with protection. While you could apply for patents and deal with the entire process yourself, it can take a very long time. Chances are; you simply cannot commit yourself for the length of time that is required. Also, it doesn’t make much sense to take your eye off the ball and deal with things like that at a time when your business needs you. Obtaining copyrights for your products can be a real hassle too, which is why most people leave it up to the professionals.
Prosecuting for negligence
There could come a time when one of your employees causes significant financial damage to your business due to their own negligence. While you obviously have the right to fire them on the spot if that happens, you also have the right to take them to court. Presuming the incident was serious enough, you’re going to need an expert representative to deal with the case. As we’re sure you realise, you should never take anyone to court unless the odds are tipped in your favour. Otherwise, you could end up paying their costs and being left out of pocket.
We hope you now have a much better idea about why solicitors could be so important to your business. You will almost certainly need to get in touch with one at some point in the future, so it makes sense for you to look now while the idea is fresh in your mind. As we said at the start of this post, your legal representatives will be in a better position to act quickly if they are already familiar with your company and its operations. If you need more info, there are lots of posts online that explain how to choose the right solicitor for your business. All you have to do is read through them and apply the information to your situation.
