Alternative Legal Service Providers: Yes, that’s me: a legal coach, attorney and non-traditional legal support provider for small businesses and online entrepreneurs.

Increasingly the traditional legal model (BigLaw) does not work for a majority of legal consumers.

It is reported by states throughout the United States that nearly 80 percent of citizens cannot afford traditional legal services – in other words, they cannot afford to hire an attorney. And this includes for legal issues that impact the most essential aspects of their lives: family law, housing, employment, etc.

Traditional legal services have been in flux for more than a decade. The firms at the top of the market have become increasingly competitive, seeking to win the “big deals” from the wealthiest consumers in the legal world – corporations. Small law firms and solo practitioners have increasingly witnessed their clientele purchasing services from alternative legal service providers such as LegalZoom or other “big box” and low cost non-traditional providers, or attempting, at times, a DIY approach to legal issues. This trend brings with it a variety of issues, some helpful for the consumer (i.e. more choices, lower cost, etc), but some extraordinarily detrimental to the consumer (when he or she does not choose a solution to match the size of the problem, or through a DIY approach really goofs things up).

Let me first say that I am a proponent of change. There has been a massive disconnect between the needs of the marketplace, and the ability (or willingness) of traditional legal service providers to meet those needs. And this is why alternative legal service providers (like LegalZoom) have been able to make their way into the market and carve out unique niches.

The Traditional Legal Market Fails to Serve Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Since the start of my career, I have observed the way in which the traditional legal market fails to meet the needs of entrepreneurs and small business legal consumers.

With 13 years experience practicing law and serving a wide variety of businesses as of 2015 (from small deals valued at several hundred dollars for solo entrepreneurs, to deals worth $90M and more that impacted whole regions in the United States), I have witnessed first hand the difficulty that small business owners and entrepreneurs face in trying to get their legal needs met. 

Legal Support for Small Businesses and Online Entrepreneurs

This is why I have set out to serve small businesses and online and information entrepreneurs in a non-traditional way. They do not typically have the budget to meet all of their legal needs using traditional legal services – i.e. hiring an attorney (or a team at a law firm) on an hourly basis. They start and build their businesses differently than traditional “brick and mortar” or large businesses. Often, they don’t have financing. Or even a business plan. Or a bank loan. They don’t start out with a legal budget. Which means they are piecing together legal solutions as they go.

And yet, some of these entrepreneurs and business owners are doing phenomenal things in the world. They just need better legal support to help ensure their success and longevity. 

I love helping businesses succeed. 

I love supporting world-changing entrepreneurs in launching their ideas, building their teams, and creating world-changing businesses.

Which is why I provide a variety of contracts & templates, as well as custom coaching & legal support, in non-traditional ways.

If you need legal support for your world-changing idea or business, I would be happy to speak with you and help you map out what type of support might be best for you, as well as talk with you about your array of options. You can contact me here.

Cheers to your success! And to buckling up in business.