So – you’ve had an excellent idea for business and thought it might be a success? Well, congratulations. It’s an amazing experience owning a startup and seeing something grow from an idea to an actual business. However, there are a lot of things that can go wrong – unless you have the right protection in place.

Most business owners understand the importance of security – but you have to start sooner rather than later. In fact, ask any legal expert and they are likely to tell you to sort out your protection before you even write your business plan. In this guide, we’re going to reveal five simple legal tips for fledgeling startups. Take a look and make sure you have the right protection.

Consider your structure

Before you start work, you will need to register your business with HMRC. It’s advisable to register as a company, rather than a sole trader, as it gives you a little extra protection. You should have a chat with an accountant, too – they will tell you the type of company you should be to save on your tax bill.

Contract everything

From the second you start dealing with other people, make sure you have a contract. It could be a partnership or an employee – it can also be a supplier or investor. In short, anyone that has any contact with your business needs to be held in a contract. It outlines everyone’s responsibilities and expectations and holds both parties to account.

Intellectual property

Don’t forget that your ideas have value, too – and it’s essential you protect them. Trademark registration is a simple process, as is applying for patents or copyrights. Ensure you do this as early as possible. If you have a very good idea, you don’t want someone stealing it from you and making a fortune off the back of it. It’s happened many times before, and will continue to do so if you don’t have intellectual property protection.

Hire a business lawyer

Don’t underestimate how useful a business lawyer can be for your fledgeling startup. They can help you cover yourself in a legal sense, and highlight areas of potential improvements. If someone files a claim against you, they can react quicker as they already understand your business. Just like having an accountant, it will save you money in the long-term. The amount of legal help you might need will be enormous as you grow your company. It makes sound sense – financial and otherwise – to use the same person.

Get insurance

If the worst happens, you have to have insurance. No matter how safe you think you are operating, there is always the chance of something happening. A slip, trip, or fall on your premises can lead to an expensive lawsuit. An unhappy client could pursue you for damages – even if you think you have done nothing wrong. It all adds up to a large payout, which could blow your startup out of the water before you even get started. Insurance will give you the peace of mind you need to make your business success.

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There are many times in your life when you might require a lawyer. But, how do you hire the best one for the job? In today’s piece, I’ve written you a short guide on hiring legal representation:

Check Their Track Record

It can be hard to figure out whether or not you’re hiring the best lawyer possible. One easy way to determine this is if you check their track record. See how many cases they’ve won and lost over the years. Typically, the best lawyers will brag about their record. If they win more than they lose, you can bet they’ll let everyone know about it. It will be plastered all over their website to show off how good they are at their job. If you can’t find anything about their track record, then you should enquire. To put yourself in the best possible situation, you want a lawyer that wins the majority of their cases. It’s also important that you take their experience into account as well. You need someone with years of experience behind them, as this can help them get the result you need.

Look For Specialists

Different legal cases require a different type of legal representation. There are many types of lawyer that are best suited for particular legal needs. If you need help with a personal injury claim, then you should go to a personal injury lawyer. Should you require help with a will, then there are firms like Ronald Fletcher and Co. that specialise in this area. Different people have different legal needs; it’s important you find a specialist lawyer that fits your requirements. It doesn’t make sense to hire someone that rarely ventures into the legal field you need help in. When looking for lawyers, check what services they offer and whether or not they fit your case.

Always Check For ‘No Win No Fee’ Offers

I find it’s crucial that you look for a law firm that offers no win no fee on some of their cases. This means that if they don’t win, you won’t have to pay them a penny. You find these offers in most personal injury and negligence cases. I think it’s essential to look for this, as it can save you lots of money. No one wants to pay for a lawyer that ends up losing their case. By hiring someone on a no win no fee basis, you give yourself a bit of security.

Understand Your Budget

The final piece of advice I can give you is arguably the most important. It’s key that you understand your budget and don’t pay for more than you can afford. You must recognise that legal disputes can go on for a very long time. Overpaying for a lawyer can mean that you end up struggling for money.

There are many problems in life that can be solved with the help of a lawyer. It’s important you realise how to hire one correctly. Hire the wrong lawyer, and you could end up in a very bad financial situation.

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There is no doubt that there are negatives to hiring a lawyer. For one thing, they are very expensive. It is issues like this that make people believe they don’t need help when they are facing legal trouble. However, it is also this kind of thinking that gets those people into even more trouble. Lawyers are an essential part of your defense if you are going through legal proceedings because of their skill and knowledge. Below are the four scenarios when you need the more than most. If you ever find yourself in one of these situations, make your first call to your attorney.

1. A Messy Divorce

If the divorce is amicable, there might not be any need for a lawyer. Although some people would disagree, you can see the logic. But, when the divorce is a messy and contracted affair, legal representation is essential. For starters, law firms like Manassa, Stassen & Vaclavek, P.C. know where to look to find any loopholes. Divorces are like wars, and some people will go to any lengths to get what they want. Remember that when the deal is finalized, it is legally binding. Plus, they also act as your go between. Talking or mediating may be impossible if you don’t have a lawyer to pass on messages and communicate.

2. Wrongful Termination Suit

Thousands of people go to court every year to fight a suit of wrongful termination. The sad fact is that employers will take advantage of your lack of knowledge. They will do things that they know they shouldn’t if they can get away with them. Obviously, your lack of knowledge is a hindrance. But, that is where an attorney comes in handy. A specialist should know the legal terms inside and out, so they should be able to build a good case. Without them, it is unlikely that you will get your job back or get compensation.

3. A Criminal Charge

No one likes to think about going through criminal proceedings. But, if you have to, you need to know where to turn. The first and only place is a top lawyer. Again, there knowledge and experience are vital to building a good case and getting you off. However, there are other issues where they excel. They also take the stress off your shoulders and help you through the process unscarred. The main reason you need one, though, is because this is the biggest moment of your life. Do you want that hanging on your shoulders for the rest of your life?

4. Wills & Trusts

It is a sad state of affairs, but wills and trusts bring out the worst in people. There are numerous instances where people have manipulated dying victims into changing their wills, and it still goes on today. All you want is to make sure that the will is legitimate and that it goes to the right people. If you have a third-party lawyer on the case, you can be pretty pleased with the outcome whatever happens.

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If the police catch you drinking and driving, you are in a lot of trouble. That one mistake, if you are found guilty, could be on your record for the rest of your life. And, although it might not seem significant, it can affect everything from your home life to your job. Your best course of action is to challenge the DUI and get it thrown out of court. It isn’t easy, but it is possible.

Here’s how you can do it and walk away scot free.

1. Challenge The Officer’s Statement

Police officers normally work in tandem because they need a second source to validate their claims. Sometimes, though, they have to work on their own. If an officer made the claim and wasn’t with their partner that day, challenge their version of events. When it all boils down, it is your word versus their word unless they have more evidence, of course.

2. Question The Fact That You Were Inebriated

With all the technology at the police officers disposal, you might think it is impossible to question the validity of the equipment. The truth is that there could be other reasons that you appear to be drunk that are not related to alcohol. For example, you might slur your words and have dilated pupils due to a medical condition. Some conditions might even fool a breathalyzer into thinking that there is a high level of alcohol in your system.

3. Make Sure The Report And The Evidence Match

One mistake that a lot of officers make is not writing down a similar account to the video evidence. The majority of police forces use body or car cameras to back up their claims. However, the experts at formerdistrictattorneys.com believe you should make sure that both accounts correlate. One or two small differences from each account could be enough to plant a seed of doubt in the judge’s mind. When that happens, they might be more inclined to throw out that particular piece of evidence.

4. Challenge The Breathalyzer

Technology is good, but it is not infallible. Just because your test comes back positive doesn’t mean that it is true. There are contributing factors that can lead to that positive result, the main one being that the equipment is dodgy. If it is not properly maintained, the results can differ wildly. Also, you may use perfectly legal over the counter medication for an ailment. Although that doesn’t impair you when you are driving, it might show up on a test. For more ways a BAC test can be faulty, go to http://duiwise.com. A blood test is a better way to gauge the level of alcohol in your blood.

5. And A Blood Test

Yes, blood tests are better, but they too are not infallible. Again, a range of factors could show a faulty reading from the chain of custody issues to unqualified testers. Ask them to do a range of samples so that you know the first one is not an anomaly.

A DUI cold ruin your life, so don’t go down without a fight.

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We’re all adults here. You know as well as I do that someone facing criminal charges is not necessarily guilty. When you’re facing criminal charges, it’s extremely important to make the right decisions. The wrong turn of events can completely cripple your financial profile, and grind your personal to a halt. Here are the most important things to do when facing criminal charges.

The first thing you need to do is hire an attorney. It’s possible to handle a criminal case without spending a penny on legal counsel. It’s also technically possible to climb Everest with no equipment. Visit http://www.rogersandmoss.com/ for an example of what to look for in a professional attorney’s firm. If hiring an independent attorney is totally out of your question, then you should get a public defender. The US constitution gives you the right to be represented by a competent attorney, who will be appointed to your case free of charge. Take your time settling on a law firm though. This could be one of the most important decisions in your life. Try your best to find a lawyer with a lot of experience in cases similar to yours.

Once you have an attorney on board, go through all your legal paperwork with them in detail. A fresh pair of eyes, specifically a lawyer’s, will help you to understand the charges made against you, and the best way to tackle them. One of the most important things is making sure all the information on your documentation is correct. A lot of criminal charges have been dismissed in the past, simply due to a criminal complaint being inaccurate. The exact information which is required in a criminal complaint varies from state to state, so read up on your local bylaws. Any police reports should also be scrutinised as much as possible. These typically have limited information, and a wrong fact could really help your chances of walking free.

You should analyse all possible evidence lined up against you. Again, this should be done with your lawyer present. If any of the police involved with the incident violated your constitutional rights, your charges could be dropped in an instant. Unfortunately, this is much more common than you might think. The police can’t search or arrest you without probable cause. Probable cause is a reasonable belief that you committed a crime, based on objective facts. If it’s found that the officer who arrested you didn’t have probable cause, you can’t be prosecuted for the charge at all. Visit http://www.constitution.org/uslaw/defunlaw.htm for more detail. It’s integral for you to go over all of your constitutional rights concerning criminal charges in detail. If you think any of them were violated, this can be a significant help in the course of your overall case.

Once you take these three steps, you’ll have a much stronger defence in your criminal case. After doing all of this base work, it’s all down to the skill of your attorney, and the evidence available. The last, overarching tip I’ll give is to listen to your lawyer, and go along with their plan.

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