How We’re Different

Our law firm works differently than most. Before I tell you how, let’s review the traditional law firm model. If you’re a small business owner, you may have had the following experience:

• You pick a lawyer out of the phone book or from a referral from the local chamber of commerce.
• You tell them that you need corporate documents. They quote you a range of fees, depending on how much time it takes. (Those fees are based on a simple computation of the time spent multiplied by the attorney’s hourly rate.)
• You get the documents with a letter to go do a bunch of things like file corporate resolutions, hold annual meetings, and the like.
• You don’t hear from the lawyer again until you call him or her for an employment agreement. (Truthfully, you’re still starting out and the lawyer won’t really start paying attention to you until you “hit it big.”)
• Because your lawyer is unfamiliar with your company’s needs, you get a cookie-cutter employment agreement that doesn’t cover the situation you need to cover.
• You go back and forth with the lawyer until you get something that works. In the end, because the work was done on an hourly basis, you get a bill for twice you thought it would cost.
• You make a mental note not to call the lawyer again unless you really, REALLY need it.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone – it’s the experience most small businesses have with their lawyer. Clearly, the traditional model is broken. At some point, client’s goals and the lawyer’s goals got misaligned. Much of the blame can be placed on the use of the “billable” hour. As lawyers delivered more “product” (read: documents) and billed by the house, clients moved away from a position of regarding their lawyer as a strategic counselor and advocate. The billable hour is also the reason clients became suspicious that their attorneys did not have the quick, efficient disposition of their issue in mind.

Well, what if you could have your attorney available to you for unlimited strategic consultations (telephone and in person), have him handle all of your contract drafting and negotiations, create employment agreements, and keep your corporate books & minutes in order – all for a predictable and affordable monthly retainer?

Good news – now it’s possible. Hatfield Legal Services is a Creative Business Lawyer firm that helps you keep your business running smoothly by helping you stay ahead of your legal issues.

Schedule a FREE Business Audit to learn the FOUR things every small business owner must know to ensure that their business is built on a rock-solid foundation (and how if you’re missing even one of these, you’re skating on thin ice…and it’s melting fast). In just our first meeting, I will help you evaluate your Legal Foundation, Insurance Protection, Financial Systems and Tax Strategies AND because I’m so passionate about successful small businesses, I’ll even come out to your location to perform this audit.

Hatfield Legal Services is unlike most law firms – small businesses have issues that are unlike most of the typical matters that larger businesses face – we’re going to love working together.

You work too hard building a business to see it all vanish over a frivolous lawsuit or predatory lender action.  What's more - if your business venture is not structured correctly, you could lose your personal assets, as well.  In addition, the time to deal with business succession issues is long before they even become an issue.  Hatfield Legal Services can help you meet your goals in building a successful business, all the while protecting your hard-earned assets from dangers lurking about.

Business Formation - utilizing the proper business entity

Business and Personal Asset Protection - build strong walls around your assets

Succession Planning and Key Man Protection - insurance where needed

Business Dissolution - legal, amicable parting of the ways