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Legal advice for startups

It's important you get the right legal advice for your new business, from a solicitor who's got experience of working with small businesses. 

You can often get a free initial consultation so make the most of it!

How a solicitor can help your business

A business solicitor can provide help and professional legal advice in many ways:
  • Identify potential risks to protect you before they become a problem
  • Advise you on which business insurance you must take out, and other optional insurances you might want to consider
  • Prepare bespoke legal contracts and contract clauses, both those you need to protect your business, but also advice on contracts or other legal documents presented to your business
  • Advise on where you can run your business from, leases for office retail or warehouse space, and any restrictions on using your home to run your business
  • Provide information on employment law, employment contracts and terms and conditions, and how to handle any employment disputes
  • Help with registering trademarks and intellectual property, protection of copyright, patents

A business lawyer can also provide legal advice on the best trading status for your business, how to manage your tax and other financial matters. However, you may wish to consider consulting a qualified accountant as well.

Finding the right business solicitor

Many business owners will choose their legal support based on recommendation from a friend or business contact. While this does provide some reassurance that the legal support will be reliable and trustworthy, bear in mind that the firm may not have the specific expertise you need. A firm that helped your friend’s business acquire another company, for example, won’t necessarily be the best choice to help you fight a copyright dispute.

The other option you have is to contact a selection of local business solicitors or commercial lawyers and try to assess which ones have the right experience to help you.  This will help you get the expertise you need but won't come with the re-assurance that a personal recommendation provides.

A more effective way to find a commercial solicitor

Third party ‘referral’ companies, such as Contact Law, provide a matching service where they introduce you to a number of solicitors based on your location and the specific area of law you need help and advice in.  Contact Law is a ‘legal brokerage’ and has created a nationwide network of over 5,000 approved law firms, all of whom are fully registered and regulated by the Law Society.

Contact Law services are free of charge to you.  After listening to your needs a case handler will match you with the most appropriate solicitor in their network, they'll also follow-up the referral and introduce you to other solicitors if required.  Their selection will be based on:
  • The specialist knowledge you're looking for
  • A price that meets your budget should you need more than just an initial discussion
  • Your location
  • Your timescales

To find the right solicitor for your business call Contact Law today on 0808 129 5778, or complete the enquiry form on this page and someone will call you back within 30 minutes.