How to Identify Your Problem and Goal
(This is an expansion of a more general article “Four Steps to Finding the Right Lawyer.”)
In order to get the most out of hiring a lawyer, you need to identify your problem and goal.
Now, you reasonably could be thinking: “I’m not the lawyer, I don’t know what to do.”
I have good news and bad news.
The good news: You don’t have to do the lawyer’s job.
The bad news: You have to do your job.
Here’s what I mean.
Your job is to figure out (1) what’s happening and (2) what you want to happen. The lawyer’s job is to figure out how to get there. So, if I’m starting a business, it’s my job to figure out something like this: “I’m starting a business with three partners to invest in residential real estate. We want to make sure that if any of us wants out of the business there’s a conflict-free way to appropriately exit with no hurt feelings.”
Don’t be afraid to desire the impossible. You can’t hit a target if you don’t aim. So, your job is to tell your lawyer the perfect outcome—and let the lawyer decide if that’s possible. It’s ok if your goal is: “I want an estate plan, so my family business grows 100x and lasts three generations.” Even this lofty goal will help set the right path for you and your lawyer. It might even be better than trying to dial back your goal to something that you think is reasonable—because that’s not your job. You decide where you want to go. The lawyer decides how to get there.
If you hire a lawyer without some goal in mind, you likely will not accomplish any goal.
Continue on to Step 2: Understand Cost