Want to protect your business before disaster strikes?
Most founders wait until they’re knee-deep in a lawsuit to think about legal assistance. By that point, it’s already too late. The money’s been lost, clients are filing lawsuits, and stress levels are high.
But here’s the thing…
70% of all businesses will face some form of a lawsuit at one point or another. Not if, but when. And most founders that weather the storm do so because they built their legal relationships well before they actually needed them.
Building strong relationships with personal injury attorneys and business lawyers before you’re faced with a crisis is what sets the most successful founders apart. When you work with experienced injury attorneys before things go wrong, you’ll save time, money, and learn how to avoid major panic if/when the situation actually happens.
Let me explain…
Table of Contents
- Why Proactive Legal Relationships Are Important
- The Real Expense of Waiting
- How To Build Your Legal Network Correctly
- When Do Founders Need Injury Attorneys?
- How To Create a Legal Safety Net
Why Proactive Legal Relationships Are Important
Think of building legal relationships as you would insurance. Nobody wants to pay for insurance until they need it. But having the proper coverage beforehand can save your business if/when disaster strikes.
The stats:
About 45% of small businesses are involved in litigation at any given time. That means nearly HALF of ALL small businesses have some kind of lawsuit going on right now. And those that are better equipped to handle these situations? They have their attorneys on call.
When you build a relationship with a lawyer beforehand, you get three benefits:
- Faster response time (your attorney will prioritize you over new clients)
- More knowledgeable about your business
- Typically lower cost
If an employee gets injured on the job or someone files a claim against your company, those that have existing legal relationships will be able to react much faster. They won’t have to waste precious time googling “best employment lawyer near me” or making awkward initial phone calls.
Getting sued is bad enough. Dealing with it alone is what truly hurts most founders.
The Real Expense of Waiting
The mistake most entrepreneurs make is that they think they’re saving money by not using attorneys.
Think again.
Workplace injuries alone cost $167 billion in 2022. That’s BILLION with a “B”. And if you don’t have the correct legal relationships in place, your business will pay more in legal fees, settlements, penalties, and lost work hours.
Here’s what happens when you wait too long:
It’s Monday and you just got sued.
You spend Tuesday researching for lawyers. Wednesday and Thursday you meet with attorneys to discuss your options. By Friday your attorney is still trying to gather information while your lawsuit has Monday deadlines.
Had you built a legal relationship beforehand, your attorney could have been notified within hours, not days.
When it comes to legal matters, time is often of the essence.
How To Build Your Legal Network Correctly
You may be wondering…
How do I build these “legal relationships”
First you need to understand what types of lawyers you should build relationships with. While every business is different, there are three types of lawyers every firm should consider connecting with:
- Business/Corporate Lawyers – For contracts, partnerships, company structure, etc
- Employment Lawyers – For hiring/firing employees, any workplace disputes, etc
- Personal Injury Lawyers – If there are any accidents on your business’s property
Once you have identified the types of legal help your business relationships should have, it’s time to start building those relationships before you NEED them.
Set up consultations. Learn about their process. What’s their response time? How much do they charge? Most importantly, get to know them.
You’re not trying to spend money you don’t have.
You’re trying to build relationships so you have those people on speed dial when you do need them.
When Do Founders Need Injury Attorneys?
Here’s another fun fact…
Workplace injuries happen more frequently than you might think. In 2023, Employers reported 2.6 million workplace injuries and illnesses. That’s MILLION with an “M”.
Specific instances where you will need an injury attorney:
- An employee gets hurt at work
- Customer slips and falls on your business’s property
- A product of your business injures someone
- Someone is involved in a vehicle accident on behalf of your company
- You’re faced with third-party liability questions
These situations require specialized skill sets that not all lawyers offer. Make sure you have a general business lawyer and dig deeper when you know you need injury-specific legal help.
Personal injuries can also happen to the founders themselves. If something happens to you that affects your ability to run your company, you’ll want to already have a relationship with an injury lawyer.
Business accidents don’t solely affect employees and customers.
Founders can get hurt too.
How To Create a Legal Safety Net
Building your legal safety net takes time. But building it isn’t as difficult as you think.
Start by creating a list. What areas of your business could potentially need legal help? Write them down.
Next, research attorneys that specialize in those fields. Find qualified candidates that have the experience and knowledge to back up their service.
Reach out to their offices and set up consultations. A lot of attorneys will offer free half-hour consultations to potential clients.
Store their contact information somewhere you can easily access. When the time comes, you’ll want to be able to quickly get in touch with them.
Send them updates about your business. Stay fresh in their minds so they remember you when you actually need their service.
It won’t happen overnight, but if you start building these relationships today, you’ll be set up for success down the road.
The best time to start building these relationships was yesterday. The next best time is right now.
The Bottom Line
Building your legal safety net won’t solve all of your business problems and prevent future issues from occurring. But having the right people on your side can give you an advantage when you’re faced with a disaster.
When you take the time to build these relationships today, you’ll thank yourself later.
It allows you to:
- Respond faster to lawsuits and incidents
- Have someone that already knows your business
- Create strategies to help you WIN
- Remain calm during stressful situations
Business isn’t about never facing problems.
It’s about being prepared when they come your way.








