It's Never Too Early to Call the Lawyer

As an attorney, I often get a call from a client or prospective client seeking assistance with something that is already in process. After obtaining some facts and basic information on the issue, transaction or planned event, my reaction is almost always the same. The client would have been better served and usually in a more cost effective way had they contacted me sooner.

I never charge a prospective client or existing client for initial consultation time on an inquiry to determine if she or he may need my professional services. This is true of many of my colleagues and other professional consultants like Accountants and Practice Consultants. However, there seems to be almost a cultural bias against making that initial telephone inquiry for fear of "starting the time clock" on a bill.

Ted Schumann of Dental Business Services has been involved in representing both sellers and buyers of dental practices for more than fifteen years. Ted counsels prospective practice sellers that the time to begin planning for the sale and transition can often best be three years before the sale or even listing the practice.

Similarly, the time to effectively plan and prepare to discharge an employee, and call the lawyer for advice in how to do so in the most risk effective manner, is not when the situation has reached "the breaking point." The client is simply never best served when she or he is telling me, "I have to fire this employee today, what do I do?"

Certainly, crises, by their definition, cannot always be anticipated. But effective risk management and business planning, with the early assistance of professionals, almost always saves time and money (which can be the same thing when retaining consultants) later on.