Attorneys can help companies during their initial creations and on a day-to-day basis in many ways. According to the Thompson Law Firm’s Andrew Thompson, a tax attorney in Indianapolis, one of the most beneficial things that an attorney can do for a company is to help it set up good human resource policies.
Having solid HR policies put in place is one of the best ways for a company to avoid litigation and excessive liability in the future. Ideally, a company’s HR policies should cover issues ranging from discrimination based on sex, race, and age, all the way to issues regarding wage payment and contract termination. The more specific and comprehensive policies a company has in place, the better prepared it will be for any type of HR-related incident.
Essentially, Thompson says that a company’s HR policy should cover anything out of the ordinary that might expose the employer to liability. The difference between having a business and tax attorney in Indianapolis put together this policy versus letting a layman do it is that the regulations outlined by a professional in the legal field are more likely to hold up in court in the event of a lawsuit.
Beyond just drafting a HR policy though, an attorney can help business owners in a variety of other ways as well. Attorneys are an excellent resource for helping with employee relations because they can draft, review, and continuously edit and refine companies memos and policies. By taking over the correspondence and legal issues, attorneys can free up the time that business owners have available to actually run their own companies.
Attorneys can also review and help negotiate contractual terms with any highly compensated or key employees on a company’s payroll to expedite the process of contract negotiations and salary increases. This process can include adding provisions that would bar key employees from working for competing businesses in the future.
By having an attorney draft these contracts, business owners can feel confident that they will hold up in court and remain enforceable under the law, which can sometimes be an issue when people with little legal experience try putting together these types of contracts on their own.
In the event that an unavoidable breakdown between an employee and the employer ever were to occur, an attorney could also step in to help minimize the business’ legal exposure through the use of appropriate and well-handled litigation in court. Businesses that utilize the help of an attorney year-round do not have to worry about finding a new lawyer if they are ever sued by a client or employee, which can relieve a large part of the stress that is usually associated with running a business in today’s litigious society. A competent attorney will be able to represent the company in litigation all the way through the trial, helping to minimize damages and present the best possible outcome for the business.
For companies that think they could use a little help in this arena, Thompson recommends contacting his law firm for a comprehensive consultation.
This article is for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel. Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.