Why you should have a lawyer for every deal
Why hire a lawyer?
I'm often contacted by do-it-yourselfers who just need a small tidbit of information or advice about whatever legal transaction it is they're working on. Unfortunately, even with that tidbit, they're likely to encounter trouble with the matter, and wind up spending more money to fix their own mistakes, than they would have on legal fees in the first place. Hiring a lawyer, I tell them, is the best way to ensure that their deals succeed.
Not just a sales-pitch
Now, I AM a lawyer, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I;d say this. But it's not just a theory or sales-pitch Now, a study conducted by law professors at the University of North Carolina has reached a conclusion that supports what I've been saying all along.
Trademark lawyers get 50% better results
The UNC Study, which focuses on Trademark lawyers, demonstrates that, even while the USPTO's application process has become more user-friendly over the past 25 years, applicants who use a lawyer to prepare their applications are 50% more likely to succeed in getting a trademark registered.
Expect similar results in other areas
Fact is, unless you're doing something every day, week-in, and week-out for several years, you're not an expert. Even transactions that seem simple, can have nuance or subtlety that goes unnoticed by the do-it-yourselfer. Lawyers who work in narrow practice areas (like intellectual property, entertainment, or media law) will almost always have an edge over folks who do things only occasionally.
Some examples of transactions often screwed up by do-it-yourselfers include: Continue Reading
