The PreventIt Law ® Approach

The legal issues involved in running a small business or nonprofit organization can seem overwhelming. According to the Small Business Administration, one of the main reasons small businesses fail is because they don’t seek legal help and take preventive legal action at critical stages.1 The same is true for nonprofit organizations. PreventIt Law ® applies the principles of preventive law to promote the success of small businesses and nonprofit organizations throughout Massachusetts.

Preventive law is an approach to the law that anticipates and prevents legal problems before they occur. Visit the preventive law page for more information about this revolutionary approach to law. There are three essential components to preventive law for small businesses and nonprofit organizations: plain-language information, tailored advice, and affordable access to that information and advice.

Small business owners and directors of small nonprofit organizations need plain-language legal information so that they will have a general understanding of the various legal requirements facing their business or organization. Recognizing this need, PreventIt Law ® provides plain-language information to its clients in the course of providing legal services. For example, when forming a corporation for a client, PreventIt Law ® attorneys provide a summary of the most common pitfalls for small corporations and how to avoid them.

Small businesses and nonprofits also need advice tailored to their specific needs. PreventIt Law ® has developed several innovative ways to provide tailored advice, including the PreventIt Law Legal Checkup for Biz ^SM and the PreventIt Law Legal Checkup for Orgz ^SM . The Legal Checkup involves completion of a questionnaire by the client so that the attorney can determine the legal needs of the business or organization. Completion of the questionnaire is followed by a consultation, during which time the client and lawyer will develop a legal plan (similar to a business plan). Areas to be covered during the consultation include identifying the client’s legal needs, prioritizing those needs, and mapping out when and how to address those needs. The Legal Checkup is educational because the questionnaire will highlight legal requirements or concerns that the client may not have been aware of previously. The Legal Checkup also allows PreventIt Law ® to provide advice that is tailored to the needs of that client by looking initially at the big picture of the client’s needs, and then turning to the immediate priorities.

PreventIt Law ® also recognizes that small businesses and nonprofits have limited resources, especially when it comes to legal fees. This issue is addressed by providing legal services on a fixed-fee basis whenever possible. A fixed-fee arrangement is usually preferred to hourly fee because it allows the client to know up front what the cost will be and budget accordingly. The PreventIt Law Legal Checkup for Biz ^SM and the PreventIt Law Legal Checkup for Orgz ^SM (including the questionnaire, consultation, and legal plan) is currently offered for a fixed fee of $300.00 (subject to change). Many other services, such as writing contracts and incorporating are also done for a fixed fee.

If your business or nonprofit organization is seeking an affordable way to become informed about the law, or if you have come to realize that preventing legal problems is better than reacting to them, the preventive law approach is for you. Contact PreventIt Law ® to find out how we can work together to strengthen and grow your business or nonprofit.

1 See http://www.sba.gov/starting_business/legal/buslaws.html