Is using legal forms online the same as using an attorney? It is good question and in most situations one will work better versus the other. But which one do you start with?

When you are first starting out in your own business or even in a partnership you start to wonder when it is the best time to start using attorneys? It is a wonderful question to ask, because you are going to get a different answer from everyone you ask. Some are going to answer the question with the mindset of liability. Others will answer the question with the mindset of taxation and still others will have their own ideas of why and when to use an attorney versus legal software forms.

That leaves you with very little to go forward with and not much to support any conclusions on when to start. I came through this same ordeal myself. I asked my accountant who gave me one answer and then a friend who was a successful in real-estate who answered the question differently; that left me still guessing. I did not have attorney friends at the time, so asking anyone I could trust in that field of expertise was definitely out of the question.

What I did do was Google to find out what others were doing. I found a few successful marketers were using disclosures, privacy policies, contract, etc. from companies that provide legal forms online. Some of these companies did a great job, while others lacked in professionalism or product features.

I also learned that the marketers who were using these legal forms were using them in a way that protected them from any legal actions that could potentially end their business or impact their personal assets. Basically it was a liability safety net. I quickly became interested and did a bit more research.

As my business grew I found that the more money I made, the more potential there was for me and my family becoming a target for treasure hunters and others who prided themselves on fraudulent lawsuits. It was during that time, I still continued to use the forms you see on this website, but I also started to make plans to have an attorney double check my sites to ensure compliance. For an example of the forms I use, just click over to my “Privacy Policy and Disclosure” page.

One thing I know works great are the online forms. They are inexpensive to use and usually only require a onetime fee. They are in all aspects of the word legal protection and worth the money to protect your website or blog from those that are less than ethical. As you start to make enough money to have an attorney take a look at your websites, then add that cost into your business. Don’t replace the online forms with an attorney unless you are making major income a month. For example, $20,000 a month would be considerable income. Keeping them both will save you the business cost of high attorney fees. An attorney may charge you $500 an hour to complete one document for your website or blog. You can create the documents yourself with the online forms and then only pay $500 for an hour of your attorney’s time reviewing your work.

I can tell you that using these forms takes minutes. Especially since you already know your niche, products and market, it is a snap for you the owner of the site. Yet, for an attorney they may charge you for the time to research your site, market etc. That is where the bill will add up.

I know that most of you that are reading this article are not considered a corporation. You may be a sole proprietor or even partnership. That is OK, no one can make you run your business one way or another. But whether a corporation or a sole proprietor, you need to protect yourself legally and you need to do it now. The longer you let the clock tick without some form of legal protection on your websites or blogs, the more potential you have for disaster to strike. I may not happen tomorrow, but you can count on it happening.

For more information on how you can protect your site, take a look at Auto Web Law Pro. I recommend it.

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Filed under: Legal Software Forms