5 steps to creating a watertight professional legal document | Protect you and your business
You have heard us say time and time again, in business, prevention is better than cure. There is simply no substitute for preparation when it comes to all things legal documents, and honestly, as far as we’re concerned, DIY is for Bunnings, not for your legals.
When it comes to creating a watertight professional legal document, there are 5 steps that we consider vital if you are after a legal document that you will be able to rely on when you need it the most (aka to avoid a complaint; to manage client expectations, and to prevent you from being sued).
Here are the 5 steps that we swear by:
1. Business legal advice
As small business owners, we don’t know what we don’t know. & that’s ok! But we need to know where to turn for proper business legal advice. Jump on a call with your business lawyer at this point to talk about where you’re at in your business and clarify what documents you need. You need a starting point and understanding your obligations is key.
2. Properly tailored business legals
Work with your business lawyer to draft legal documents that suit your particular business; comply with your legal obligations, and that integrate with your processes and systems. There’s no room for a cookie-cutter approach here, and when it comes to legals, one size doesn’t fit all.
3. Work WITH your business lawyer
The process to develop your legal documents ought to be a collaborative one between you and your business lawyer. You need to understand your documents and know how to use them, and you deserve real peace of mind knowing that your legal documents have you covered.
Here at TM Solicitor we have a 4 step process that we work through with our clients to develop highly tailored legal documents that work. Look for something similar with the business lawyer you are working with.
**Red flag alert! If you receive an email from your lawyer attaching a template telling you you’re good to go, without a collaborative consultative process, you might want to think twice before rolling out those documents.
4. Branding
Your legal documents are an extension of your business, and they should look and feel like it. Your documents should be branded with your brand (not your lawyer’s brand!); incorporate your colour palette and fonts, and represent your tone of voice. A thesis style set of legal documents, filled with legal jargon and lingo that, let’s be honest, some lawyers don’t even fully understand, is not what your business deserves.
You should feel confident and proud each time you issue any document from your business, and this absolutely includes your legal documents. If you’re not getting this vibe from your current documents, it might be time to up level.
5. Integrate
Your legal documents need to work for your business, and this means they need to integrate into your existing systems and processes. There’s no point having them, if you can’t use them. So, the last step to creating a watertight professional legal document is to ensure that you are using them properly, because if you don’t, you may not be able to rely on them when you need to.
Good business legal advice will help you here, because this advice will explain to you what you need to do with your documents to ensure they are legal binding. This ought to include a discussion around your existing systems and processes so you can identify any changes you need to make to integrate your new professional legal documents.
Legal documents are key in building solid foundations for success in your business. If you are interested in other key aspects for building a successful business, you may like to read more here:
· What are my legal expectations when starting a small business
· 7 legal requirements for small business
· Legal Advice for Small Business | Ultimate guide
If you have any questions about your legal documents, feel free to book in a free chat here.