Today we will discuss how to manage your time with your attorney for the biggest bang for the bucks…

At Big Bucks per Hour, you need to plan ahead…

You need to plan ahead before meeting with your corporate lawyer so that you do not waste money, and remember it can add up fast.  Business lawyers usually charge by the hour, so waiting till the meeting to gather your thoughts is a bad idea. As the Boy Scouts say, Be Prepared!  And this is true for those of us that own S corps and LLCs as well.

For the first meeting, ask if there is any pre-questionnaire to complete and fill it out and send it in advance of the meeting.  Sometimes they will ask for a few supporting documents- have these ready.
 

What is the Major Purpose for the Meeting?

You need to put together an adenda and a list of questions.  This will help you to focus and get back on track if you start going off on tangential discussions. 

I personally like to write out about a page or two that outlines the situation I want to discuss mainly for my own use to crystallize my thinking.  It can also be put into a letter form and sent to the lawyer ahead of time so that he can be prepared with any relevant answers or documents.

During the Meeting, Be Focused… (Avoid Tangents and Goosechases)

In our “regular” conversations with people, we might be the sort of person who likes to have deep interesting conversations and really learn a lot about people and their topics.  When dealing with a lawyer we need to suppress that urge and remain on topic.  A well-planned agenda will go a long way towards keeping the meeting flowing.

Effective Advice Requires you to Be 100% Honest…

I assume that you’ve heard about Garbage In, Garbage Out? 

Assuming that you are looking to get relevant, solid advice, it is important that you are totally honest with your attorney about your concerns and situation.  In some cases, they can minimize or dismiss your worries by putting them into the proper legal context.  In all cases, they need to know the truth so that they can take all factors into account.

I am a huge believer in the concept of Accurate Thinking (click for PDF chapter).  I first heard it mentioned in Napoleon Hill’s work.  (You have read Think and Grow Rich haven’t you? If not, you can get a free copy online here: Think and Grow Rich e-book)   In order to make great decisions, they must be based on accurate facts.  But that is a topic for another day…

Thanks for reading,

Rob