What possible ways that you can do so that legal problems issues can be avoided?

Starting a small business is difficult enough as is without any legal potholes or problems. As a small business owner you have enough to worry about, and you don’t want to be stressing out about business law. We can help your business stand on its own two feet, make sure it’s legally protected and offer advice on the best practices moving forward. However, for some simple tips that can be easily followed, take a look at this list we created of easy ways to avoid legal issues for your small business.

1. Document Everything

Verbal agreements simply do not cut it in the business world. Make sure everything you need important to the business is in writing. Even if you are working with a friend or something is a loose agreement, having everything you need documented is an easy way to manage accountability and back up each agreement and contract.

2. Intellectual Property is Just as Important

A common misconception is that materialistic items and resources are more valuable than intellectual property. However, more often than not it is actually the opposite! Materialistic things can be replaced, but if an idea is stolen, there is no way to replace the value. One of the biggest ways to protect your thoughts, ideas and the intellectual property of your company is to get specific. Have employees, contractors and anyone else working closely with the company sign a confidentiality agreement. Trademark any sort of logo, print or name vital to the company. Print copyright warnings on any published works.

3. Create Employee Guidelines and Resources

The best way to avoid any legal issues regarding employees is to provide as much direction and an abundance of resources from the beginning. The way your employees are initially introduced to the company sets the tone for the entire business. Provide your employees with all agreements and contracts that need to be signed, in addition to an employee agreement. Regardless of whom you are hiring, an employee agreement is essential for everyone. It outlines the expectations, rules to follow and standards expected.

4. Always Be Specific

There is no such thing as too many legal documents for a business. The more, the merrier! Don’t shorten any document or summarize any agreement. Be as specific as possible with each and every item regarding the business functions, employees, guidelines, practices, ect. We understand this can be an incredibly overwhelming task, so, many times this is where your lawyer comes in! The lawyer can help draw up documents, include anything you forgot, or advise businesses on the proper way to word certain things.

5. Protect Yourself and Your Business

At the end of the day, the very best way to protect yourself as a business owner, and the business itself, is to lawyer up! As much as you can do on your own, a lawyer has the knowledge and experience to help with all of the things you may not think of or most likely need assistance with. Having a good legal team behind your company can sometimes make or break the business. You want to find a lawyer who understands and can meet the needs of your business.

Here at Von Esch Law, we have over 20 years of experience in business law and can help you with whatever you specialize in. We can assist you in writing contracts, drawing up agreements or simply offering advice on good legal practices. Give us a call today!

If you’re like most people, you’d prefer not getting involved in a lawsuit. So how can you avoid lawsuits? Unfortunately, the answer is – it is impossible to totally and unequivocally eliminate all risk of litigation. You simply can’t avoid any and every possible lawsuit. We live in an uncertain world and lawsuits can arise regardless of the preventative steps one takes to avoid them.

That being said, there are a few tips we like to give to either help prevent some of the risk of potential lawsuits and, perhaps more importantly, mitigate the impact a lawsuit might have on you or your business if it cannot be avoided.

Contact an Attorney today to discuss your case.

At Sawan & Sawan, we offer free initial consultations. We represent clients in Ohio, Georgia, Michigan and Florida. From our family to yours.

Request A Call

Pay Your Debts

One of the most common ways people get in potential legal trouble is failing to pay debts. We all know people get busy and it can be hard to keep up with all the different payments. Maybe financial circumstances have taken a turn for the worst and you are struggling to keep up. Unfortunately, since almost everyone owes someone some money at some point, disputes about debts are ubiquitous and many times end up involving litigation. If you’re someone who double checks that all of your debts are satisfied each billing cycle, it can do a lot for you to avoid being sued.

For Renters, Learn Your State's Landlord Tenant Laws

Another category we see almost every day are legal disputes arising between landlords and tenants. Luckily, these laws are usually pretty straightforward and it always pays to be familiar with each side’s obligations and rights. Note that each state has different landlord tenant laws with a wide range of different outcomes so make sure if you are learning about the law, its about your state’s law and not another state.

Read Everything You Sign or Agree To and Be Prepared to Honor Agreements

Aside from the above mentioned points, contract disputes also make up a large portion of potential lawsuits. If you are signing something, make sure you not only understand it but fully intend to honor it. Not only that, but this principle doesn’t only apply to written contracts. Sometimes just agreeing to something can meet the elements of a contract. It simply depends on the state law and the facts at hand in your individual case. So as a rule of thumb, take it seriously whenever you are agreeing to something – especially if its in writing. You should fully expect to be held to that agreement and often times, it is those agreements that end with lawsuits if they fall apart.

Drive as Safely As Possible

Another thing that most of us do, and unfortately that results in plenty of lawsuits, is driving our vehicles. Since we represent the victims of car accidents, the attorneys at our firm think safe defensive driving is one of the most important things our clients and the community at large should focus on. Car accidents can be devastating in so many profound ways. Taking a bit of extra time to be as safe as possible on the road not only protects your health and the safety of the community but it also is a great way to avoid a lawsuit. Of course this is one of the inevitable parts of modern society and not all car accidents can be avoided simply by one driver who is safe and following applicable traffic laws. Of course, maintain adequate insurance and take a look at some of our car insurance guides to make sure you have underinsured coverage, gap insurance and understand if your policy has a family exclusion. Insurance can be so critical, we’ve actually decided to make it into its own category.

Keep Appropriate Insurance

Insurance can be the most important thing when you need it and you’re covered. While we have had plenty of unfortunate cases where insurance coverage was excluded, having insurance is either legally required in most cases or simply a good idea to have. Most insurance policies are going to include a provision whereby the insurance company will provide a lawyer for your defense should an unfortunate situation arise where you are potentially liable. This can protect your finances if a lawsuit is filed. If you were involved in an unfortunate accident, you might end up liable and the financial outlay could be sizable. The benefit of having insurance, if it ultimately covers you (and, unfortunately, that can be a big “if” sometimes), cannot be overstated. Insurance can potentially cover the financial losses you might be liable for if you are sued as well. We go as far as recommending that people schedule a few hours with their attorney to review their insurance policies.

Have an Established Relationship with a Law Firm

In fact, having an attorney you meet with at least a few times a year for this type of thing is not a bad idea. While we understand that meetings with lawyers isn’t exactly inexpensive, pay for a few hours of time. It is really important to at least have a law firm where you are familiar with some of the attorneys and an ongoing established relationship can substantially reduce the stress of potential legal problems. We’re just a phone call away at 419-900-0955. Having someone to call when you are being sued can be the smartest decision of them all.

Speak to a Lawyer Today!

Contact an Attorney today to discuss your case.

At Sawan & Sawan, we offer free initial consultations. We represent clients in Ohio, Georgia, Michigan and Florida. From our family to yours.

Request A Call

Dennis P. Sawan

Partner

Licensed in Ohio and Georgia

Christopher A. Sawan

Partner

Licensed in Ohio and Michigan

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