LawyerSelect.ca - Guide to Hiring a Lawyer

SHOULD I USE THE LAWYER MY REALTOR REFERRED ME TO? This blog is brought to you courtesy of  www.lawyerselect.ca For most people, their experience with a real estate lawyer will be brief and uneventful – and that’s not such a bad thing. However, you won’t realize the real estate lawyer’s value until you’re well into the process and something major comes up, like an issue with the land title or a sketchy clause in the purchase and sale agreement. The majority of clients are referred to a real estate lawyer by their realtor. This lawyer typically does a lot of business with your realtor, so right from the get-go you’ve got to question your realtor’s motives: is this really the best real estate lawyer for me and my purchase? Don’t sell yourself short. Buying or selling a home is likely one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make in your life. Well, you’re probably asking yourself “what other options do I have?” Thankfully, you’ve got some good ones. A lawyer referr

COST-SAVING STRATEGIES TO KEEP DOWN LEGAL COSTS This blog is brought to you courtesy of  www.lawyerselect.ca For many new business owners, the very concept of consulting with a lawyer stirs up terrifying visions of sky-high legal costs and crazy hourly rates. That shouldn’t be the case. While lawyers are definitely not cheap, there are a number of ways to control your legal costs. First, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the different ways in which lawyers bill you for their time. 1.        Hourly rate – this is how most lawyers’ bill (by the hour). If they have to travel for your matter, they may also bill you by the day. 2.        Flat/Block fee – some lawyers will charge you a flat rate, usually for routine matters, like drafting a contract, or reviewing a lease. Make sure to carefully review the work that’s included as part of the flat rate. 3.        Monthly retainer – this arrangement is useful when you’re first starting out and have a lot of questi

THE IMPORTANCE OF HIRING A BUSINESS LAWYER FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS This blog is brought to you courtesy of  www.lawyerselect.ca As a general rule, the two most important professionals every business needs early on are: a lawyer and an accountant. The importance of a lawyer may be a surprise to some, while accountants not so much. After all, it’s the accountant who’s going to help you set up your books, accounts and prepare all your tax returns. In much the same way, a lawyer will provide you with invaluable assistance in pretty much every aspect of your business… surprised? You shouldn’t be. Lawyers help with zoning issues and compliance, copyrights, trademarks, partnership agreements, incorporation, and potential future liability. So… what type of lawyer will I need? Like physicians, lawyers specialize in certain areas of law. So someone who practices estate law may not be the best fit for your business. Below we’ve listed some of the areas of law that a business l

The 9 Things You Should Think About Before Suing This blog is brought to you courtesy of  www.lawyerselect.ca 1 à Does your case have merit? First and foremost, do you have a genuine legal claim? Does the law support your position? For example, let’s say you slipped and fell at a grocery store injuring yourself; that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a claim against the store owner for a “slip and fall.” You’ll have to assess whether the store owner was at fault for failing to ensure your safety. This is both a factual and legal assessment, which a personal injury lawyer can best assist you with. 2 à Have you made a demand for compensation/reparation before you file suit? This step is often overlooked, sometimes because there is a lack of dialogue between the parties involved. You can avoid that by sending the other party a “demand letter” where you can propose the terms of settlement. This can be a very effective tool, because when people know they’re at f