Top Boston, MA Business Law Lawyers Near You

Are you Involved with Business?

Business law, also referred to as commercial law, refers to the different laws that govern business entities in all types of commerce, including sales, trade and merchandising. Business entities can be any type of business from a sole proprietorship to a partnership or a corporation. Any entrepreneur wanting to start a business in Boston will end up knee deep in many types of business law decisions, which will require different sets of skills.

What Business Law Covers

Business owners are faced with countless business law situations, which can range from starting a business and choosing its legal structure to business finances and taxes. These decisions could make or break your financial future and the stability of your business. A business law firm will be able to guide you through these decisions.

The hiring and firing of employees also falls under business law as does forming the right business partnerships. Creating legally binding contracts is crucial to your business being successful. A business law firm can help you with these situations as well.

Top Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney

• How many years have you been practicing law? How long have you practiced law in the local area?
• How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
• What is the likely outcome for my case?

In legal practice, experience matters. An experienced attorney will likely have handled issues similar to yours many, many times. Therefore, after listening to your situation, the attorney should have a reasonable idea of the time line for a case like yours and the likely resolution.

How to Prepare for Your Initial Consultation

Prepare for your consultation by writing down notes of your understanding of the case, jot down questions and concerns for the attorney, and gather your documents. Remember that you are trying to get a sense of whether the attorney has your trust and can help you address your legal issues. Questions should include how the attorney intends to resolve your issue, how many years he/she has been practicing law and specifically practicing in your area, as well as how many cases similar to yours the attorney has handled. It can also be helpful to broach the subject of fees so that you understand the likely cost and structure of your representation by a specific attorney and/or legal team.

Types of legal fees:

Bill by the hour: Many attorneys bill by the hour. How much an attorney bills you per hour will vary based on a number of factors. For instance, an attorney's hourly fee may fluctuate based on whether that hour is spent representing you in court or doing research on your case. Attorneys in one practice area may bill you more than attorneys in a different practice area.

Contingent fee: Some lawyers will accept payment via contingent fee. In this arrangement, the lawyer receives a percentage of the total monetary recovery if you win your lawsuit. In sum, the lawyer only gets paid if you win. Contingent fee agreements are limited to specific practice areas in civil law.

Flat fee: For "routine" legal work where the attorney generally knows the amount of time and resources necessary to complete the task, he/she may be willing to bill you a flat fee for services performed.