Prepaid and Small Business

Legal advice for small businesses does not have to be expensive. With pre-paid legal plans, a wide array of legal services designed specifically to cater for the needs of small businesses is available for a set yearly fee ranging from $125 to $300.

Although coverage differs across the board, most pre-paid plans offer unlimited telephone consultation with a lawyer, a valuable service that is enough to solve many small-business matters. This encourages "preventive law": the process whereby you identify legal problems that affect your business, contact your lawyer and get advice on taking steps to minimize them.

Basic plans provide coverage for simple contracts and the drafting of simple legal documents, like a power of attorney or a bill of sale. More comprehensive plans will deal with more elaborate matters like equipment lease and accounts-receivable collection work.

If you are a member of a local chamber of commerce, trade or professional group than you can get a plan at a reduced group rate. Otherwise, buy directly from a commercial vendor.