Getting legal advice isn’t cheap. On average, hiring a lawyer from a big firm in an elite city will charge you at least $1,000+ per hour. It is almost impossible for new business owners. But ignoring the risks because you don’t have the funds for it is simply not the right option because the risks are too far dangerous.
Laws concerning the ways to conduct business are very complicated. You might not even have any idea if you’re violating any law. You can face many challenges including the preservation of your intellectual property like trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Also, you need to keep at bay the lawsuits that might land you in trouble. It makes it essential to get proper legal assistance for your business before it’s late.
With this many risks involved and the unavailability of resources to hire a good lawyer, you might wonder if there is any place they can go to get advice from a Prime Lawyers to help you with the legal issues in your business without having to spend all their funds. The good news is that there are a lot of places that offer legal services for free.
The Small Business Association (SBA)
One of the best ways to find the best legal assistance for free is to approach the Small Business Association in your local area. The SBA offers you help from their panel of lawyers who will answer all your questions related to business and ways to solve them. Usually, you have to be a member of the association to avail of this service. But with the quality information they provide, it is justifiable.
Local Chamber of Commerce
Similar to the SBA, the Chamber of Commerce allows you to get help from lawyers related to your business. But every Chamber of Commerce doesn’t ask you to be a member to benefit from their services. Many of them offer free memberships so that you get the required assistance you need free of cost. The United States Chamber of Commerce helps you find a Local Chamber of commerce in your neighborhood. You can also contact the nearest Small Business Development Centre for further assistance.
Legal Non-Profit Agencies
Non-profit organizations are the best source for free legal information. You can have the best lawyers helping you without any fee. Many of these NPAs offer how to start a small business of your own, connect with the right people and help them navigate their way through the corporate law system to help them flourish their business and dodge all the legal issues at once. These organizations are usually run by lawyers. They mostly keep their services limited to people of lower income groups, military veterans, and people with disabilities.
The Internal Review System (IRS)
The Internal Review System has a dedicated page for small business owners. It provides them with different suggestions and solutions for their small business. These suggestions range from how to file income tax to how some specific tax reforms could impact your business. They also have an e-file system for filing taxes online. It saves you a lot of time.
Along with the IRS, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) provides legal assistance to small businesses and those rebuilding from losses through its Small Business Legal Clinic Program. With the help of this program, you can get advice from specialized lawyers on contract law and how to protect your intellectual property.
These are the best places to go if you require legal assistance for your business but don’t have the funds.