Video Summary:
In this transcript from a video by Gale & Vallance, attorney Andy Gale from Orange County discusses the benefits of hiring a lawyer early in business. He explains why relying solely on online legal Q&A websites often leads to incomplete or misleading answers, since legal advice requires a full understanding of a company’s unique situation, goals, and challenges. Instead, he emphasizes the value of building a relationship with a trusted corporate attorney who understands your business inside and out.
Please note: this video does not constitute legal advice. We strongly recommend that you consult with a qualified lawyer about your specific case.
Transcript
00:00:00 – Concerns About Online Legal Q&A Sites
I had a look at this website regarding legal answers to questions, and one of my biggest gripes about a site like this is that I think it oversimplifies the advisory process that a corporate attorney offers to a business client.
00:00:21 – The Value of a Trusted Business Lawyer
Probably one of the most versatile and useful tools to a business person is a business lawyer who is their trusted adviser and who is well familiar with their company and with their particular situation, their goals and aspirations, problems that they’re having in the present and that they may have in the future.
The problem with someone going to one of these sites is that they’ll ask a question not really know enough about the legal background to maybe include certain critical facts which would completely change the answer a business lawyer may give them.
00:00:57 – Why Online Legal Answers Often Lack Value
I found that when I look on these sites, even when I looked at the questions, I rarely get enough facts from the client to make any answer have any value at all. When I’ve read the answers that lawyers post, almost always it strikes that one of three things is going to happen.
If it’s a good corporate attorney they may not answer at all. Secondly, if it’s a good lawyer and they want to participate in a website like this, they’re going to give a vague answer, so that no one can come back and say, hey, I followed the advice that you gave me on this website and it all turned out wrong. Or the third thing that they’ll get is they will get a lawyer to give an answer and then place a giant disclaimer at the bottom saying this is not a legal advice, you are not my client, good luck if you followed my advice.
00:01:55 – Why Building a Lawyer Relationship Matters
None of those three options to me seems worth the time it is to either make a post or answer the post. I would always recommend a business person to invest time in finding a lawyer that they resonate with. There’s a good connection in terms of what the lawyer’s skill set is and the kind of business that they have, and form a relationship.
The quality of the advice that you are going to get will be directly related to the quality of information corporate attorneys Orange County has, and I think that’s the best way for a client to proceed.
Conclusion: Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer Early in Business
As Andy Gale highlights, online legal answers rarely provide the depth or accuracy needed for real-world business decisions. The benefits of hiring a lawyer early in business include building a strong advisor relationship, ensuring legal guidance tailored to your unique circumstances, and avoiding costly mistakes caused by incomplete or generic advice. By working directly with a corporate attorney, business owners in Orange County and beyond can protect their companies and position themselves for long-term success.
