Your corporate lawyer will be privy to some of the most sensitive information about your business, so it’s crucial to hire someone with whom you can have a trusting and long-lasting professional relationship.

To find a competent and successful legal representative whose relentless in the pursuit of your best interests, ask the following questions:

1. Is there a local lawyer available?

Many business owners assume they’ll have to go to the nearest big city to find a law firm capable of supporting them through complex legal matters. However, this isn’t always the case. If you’re situated in Albury-Wodonga, for example, it’s worth looking for a business lawyer in Albury before expanding your search to Sydney. Many of Australia’s biggest law firms have branches in smaller towns, meaning you can enjoy the ease of meeting with your lawyer locally but also benefit from the resources of the larger firm.

2. What industries and areas of business do they specialise in?

According to Townsville Law Firm Connolly Suthers, Business law is a broad category, so you want to work with a lawyer who has plenty of experience (and success) dealing with the precise matters you’re facing. Not only this, but you also want someone who has a good working knowledge of your industry and its unique parameters.

3. What and how do they charge?

Lawyers take many different approaches to billing their clients, so it’s crucial to have them fill you in on their specific practices. Some business lawyers work on a retainer, while others charge an hourly fee. There may also be set costs for things like composing letters and contracts. You don’t want to be hit with an unexpected bill because you thought a contract would be part of the retainer when it’s actually billed separately. So, get this information up-front and in writing. If a law firm is hesitant to do this, they’re not the firm for you.

4. Who will be handling your case/workload?

You may be meeting with one of the partners at a law firm, but that doesn’t mean this is the person who will be handling the bulk of your work. Some firms have their most impressive lawyers attract new clients but then pass the work over to less experienced team members. While this isn’t necessarily a problem, it is something you’ll want to know about up-front.

5. What options do you have?

People hire business lawyers for all sorts of reasons. You might be expanding your business, hiring new staff, and ensuring you’re handling contracts and other legal matters perfectly from the start. Or you may be facing a dispute and scrambling to find a solution. Whatever the case, there’s almost always more than one legal avenue you could take. A great way to determine whether a lawyer’s approach is a good fit for you, your values, and your business mission is to see what options they present to you.

6. Can they provide examples of previous cases?

One of the best ways to give yourself confidence that your business is in the best possible hands is to review cases just like yours that your lawyer has successfully handled. Like most people, business lawyers are more than happy to share their success stories, so any legal professional worth their retainer will be happy to supply you with evidence of their past wins.

Work your way through these questions, and you’ll come out the other side with a far clearer understanding of who you want representing you and your business.