A big part of running an effective business is choosing the right professionals to work on your behalf.

This is the first in a series of blogs I'll write on this matter, "Picking the right Lawyer"

These days, picking lawyers is a lot like picking a medical specialist, you need to be sure that they have the:

1. Time to help you;
2. Experience in the area you need help in;
3. Personality that meshes with:
   1. Your culture and style; and
   2. The desired outcome of your need to use them;
4. Interest in helping you;
5. References from other clients with similar issues that have used them; and
6. Rate structure that is market based, and meets the specific needs of the issue.

This might seem like simple and obvious checklist, and it is, it's just that it is very rarely, if ever followed.

What the result is when it is not, is the results of the work more often than not:

1. Are sub-optimal as to outcome;
2. Are more costly than they needed to be;
3. Took more of your time, energy, and emotions than should have been expected; and
4. Took much longer than necessary to reach the resolution.

Legal issues, and needs are an everyday occurrence in North American business life, and incorrect choices of legal advisers takes quite a toll on business results, and not just in terms of professional fees, but lost productivity and focus on the business while dealing with these issues.

Another, frequent error made is that entrepreneurs have a tendency to use too few lawyers by number, thinking that this saves costs, and delivers better results. Nothing could be further from the truth; each file needs to be assessed on the above 6-point checklist in determining who should be on the team. Using a law firm with multiple lawyers on staff can be a convenience, but not necessarily a natural solution. Again think about the 6-point checklist above.