Statista estimates that eCommerce in Australia has over $11,000,000USD in revenue, a figure growing 8.8% ever year. eCommerce is a large part of our economy, and lawyers play an important advisory role in managing your eCommerce business. Do you want that potential in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand your business?
It can be a tough task to hire the right lawyer that understands you, and fits within your budget. Here are five questions we recommend that make it easier to arrive at your perfect future eCommerce lawyer. These answers will help you when searching LawPath’s lawyer directory for your eCommerce lawyer.
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1. How long have you been working in eCommerce law?
eCommerce and traditional commercial transactions are not only different businesses, but different areas of law. You’ll want a lawyer with special experience and knowledge that fits your eCommerce business rather than a general practice lawyer. Would you want a lawyer who specialises in physical trade and commerce to handle your business when they might not understand the environment as well? The best lawyers give you advice that helps both short-term goals and the long-term objectives of your business.
This question also allows you to see if your lawyer has handled any similar cases. You can get a better understanding of likely legal outcomes, costs and the commitment that both you and the lawyer will undertake.
2. What are your costs?
You’re a business. You don’t want your legal fees to impact your bottom line too much. And the truth is legal fees are notorious for cutting deeply into profits.
The legal industry currently offers two main methods of payment.
Billable hours
Billable hours are when the lawyer charges for every hour spent on your issue. You should try and get an idea of how many hours the lawyer expects to take. Keep in mind that even a short five minute conversation can add much more than that into your final charge.
Flat fee.
A flat fee can provide a better idea of what you’re paying. The flat fee, however, may not cover all legal costs such as filing.
You can connect with an eCommerce lawyer using LawPath’s lawyer directory. You can learn more about how lawyers charge clients by reading our legal guide on how much you should pay a lawyer.
3. Who will work with you?
Lawyers are busy people who rarely work alone on a case. Law firms in particular have teams of junior and senior staff who handle a case together. This is an important question to ask if you want to ensure that the person you’re hiring is doing the majority of the work.
4. How do you prefer to be contacted?
You may expect a certain type of communication with your lawyer depending on your legal matter. Whether constantly through phone, or infrequently via email, it is important to set expectations for how, and when you would like to be in touch with your lawyer. There’s no point hiring a lawyer who is unavailable when you need their advice the most.
5. Is there any conflict of interest?
It’s a simple, yet important question that rarely gets asked. If your lawyer is working with your main competitor, do you really want that person knowing your business secrets? It may lead to an uncomfortable situation that is best avoided straight away rather than down the road.
Conclusion
Hiring an eCommerce lawyer is a pivotal business decision. You want to ask the right questions so that you get the perfect lawyer that can not only deal with current legal requirements at the right cost, but also offer advice for your future success. You can now access Lawpath’s Lawyer Directory to connect with eCommerce lawyers in your area.
Require a specialist eCommerce lawyer? Contact a LawPath consultant on 1800 529 728 to learn more about customising legal documents, obtaining a fixed-fee quote from our lawyer marketplace or any other legal needs.
