Paycheck Protection Program loans are available to small businesses under the CARES Act, designed to keep employees on payroll, rehire laid off employees, and/or pay benefits to employees.

To our small business clients - On March 27, the CARES Act was signed into law, and while there are several programs under the law, the provision currently requiring the most urgent action is the Paycheck Protection Program loans. The PPP loans are available to small businesses (less than 500 employees). These loans are designed to provide up to 2.5 times the average monthly payroll to businesses in order to keep employees on the payroll, rehire laid off or furloughed employees, and/or pay benefits to employees. These loans may be forgiven if conditions are met - generally spending the funds received on payroll costs.

This process has moved exceptionally quickly, and we have been working to understand the programs to help our clients, while banks have put programs into place to accept applications and deploy funds as quickly as possible within this program. The Small Business Administration had originally intended for banks to start receiving applications on Friday, April 3rd, but many banks were awaiting final guidance from the government and SBA on how to administer these programs, and some will not start accepting applications until today or later this week.

Under the interim final rules, released late on April 2nd, we note the following:

* Banks have the ability to rely on certifications of the borrower to determine eligibility, and to rely on documents provided by the borrower for loan forgiveness.
* Independent contractors should not be included in the payroll calculation, as they have the ability to apply on their own.
* This program is generally available to businesses with less than 500 employees. Additional guidance is pending related to affiliation rules (commonly controlled/owned businesses that may have greater than 500 employees).
* Only one loan will be allowed under this program. Consider applying for the maximum amount.
* It is confirmed to be first-come, first-served. Nobody knows how long these funds will last, but speculation is that they will go fast. There is also speculation that additional funds could be made available in the future, but that is uncertain.
* The SBA will be issuing additional guidance on loan forgiveness. Currently, as long as 75% of funds received are spent on payroll, with the remaining 25% on mortgage, rents, or utilities, the loan will generally be forgiven, subject to other calculations.
* On any non-forgiven portions of the loan, the amount will be repaid over two years at a 1% interest rate.
* Lenders do not need to apply the usual "credit elsewhere test" as is usually a prerequisite for SBA loan eligibility.

Action items:
* Contact your current bank to determine their process.
* Gather and organize your payroll documents, including 941's for all of 2019, and Q1 of 2020.
* Read and complete the application that can be found on the SBA website. While your bank may have a slightly different application to complete, it will likely be similar to this one. This will help prepare you for the bank specific application.
* Perform a preliminary calculation of the maximum loan amount.
* Aggregate payroll costs for employees for the last 12 months. (We recommend being prepared with documents from January 2019 to March 2020).

We are here to help. The guidance under these programs is changing rapidly. If you are a small business owner and have questions about these PPP loans, give us a call at 253.858.5434.

Here in the era of COVID-19, your estate plan may not be the first thing on your mind. But a good plan can help you manage family matters during this health crisis.

Here in the era of the coronavirus, your estate plan may not be the first thing on your mind. But an up-to-date plan can help you manage family matters during the current health crisis, as well as prepare you for whatever the future may hold.

DURABLE POWERS OF ATTORNEY. Most estate plans include powers of attorney, and the vast majority of married couples name each other as agents under a general durable power of attorney. These documents allow each spouse to act on behalf of the other in managing various aspects of family life. For example, if there is a need to make any changes to an account or access a safe deposit box, one spouse can act for the other. In cases where an individual is battling an illness, this option can prevent unnecessary exposure to others and help ease stress.

HEALTH CARE POWERS OF ATTORNEY. In times like these, a health care power of attorney could become vitally important. Here, it’s important to keep in mind that health care powers of attorney are always “springing”—meaning that the named agent can make decisions on behalf of the spouse or loved one only if that person is unable to make his or her own health care decisions, either because of age, illness, or injury.

TAKING STOCK OF YOUR PLAN. For those of you who already have an estate plan in place, now is a good time to take stock and review it. You might start by asking yourself the following questions:

* Does it meet your wishes and reflect the current realities of your family?
* Are the named agents and powerholders still the people you want in charge when the time comes to shift responsibilities?
* Do named beneficiaries and stated payout percentages make sense? These beneficiary designations may include those you have added to your bank, brokerage, and retirement accounts.

Please note: When it comes to retirement account beneficiary designations, keep in mind that several important changes were made in 2019 under the SECURE Act. These changes include the elimination of the “lifetime stretch” for most non-spouse retirement account beneficiaries.

THE BEST LESSON? BE PREPARED. The most important takeaway here is to keep your estate plan up to date. Laws change, life and family dynamics evolve over time, and even technological advancements alter how we access our online accounts, which hold some of our most cherished property and memories. Make a point to meet with your estate planning lawyer every few years or certainly in anticipation of any major life events.

Life changes quickly, but having a solid estate plan in place will help you stay the course. If we can help in any way, feel free to give us a call at 253.858.5434 or visit us at www.aitalaw.com.

In this time of isolation and shelter-in-place orders, don't forget about the Bar Assn's Lawyers Assistance Program if you're dealing with depression, anxiety, or substance abuse issues.

To our Colleagues in the Legal Profession: Due to the nature of our profession, we often experience isolation and stress in normal, day-to-day circumstances. The additional challenges we now face with the COVID-19 pandemic, shelter-in-place orders, and lack of in-person interaction with others can be particularly acute for those already vulnerable to depression, anxiety, substance abuse, or other wellness concerns.

It is now more important than ever to remember that the Washington State Bar Association's Member Wellness Program (formerly the "Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program") and the Idaho State Bar's Lawyer Assistance Program provide support for lawyers, judges, and law students who experience problems associated with anxiety and depression, in addition to substance abuse.

These programs focus on educating legal professionals and their families and friends about the causes, effects, and treatment of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems, in addition to alcohol and drug dependency. Lawyers, judges, and mental health professionals volunteer their time to these programs to assist those experiencing these issues. These volunteers are familiar with the special challenges faced by lawyers and judges and can connect you with a licensed counselor in your area. All services provided by these programs are confidential.

These issues are important; I'm not embarrassed and will be the first to admit that in my 23 years of practice, I've used the services of the WSBA's Lawyers and Judges Assistance Programs and cannot speak highly enough about them. If you feel like you need help for yourself or a colleague, call 206.727.8268 in Washington or 208.891.4726 in Idaho.

If you own property in California, call us to learn about avoiding probate.

If you live in California, or have vacation property or rental property in California, do whatever you can to avoid probate in California after you die. California uses a statutory attorneys fees formula to set the lawyer's fee for probate matters. If you have a $100,000 estate, the lawyer's fee is $4,000, plus expenses. If you have a $1 million estate, the lawyer's fee is $23,000, plus expenses. Here in Washington and Idaho, at the Law Offices of P. Stephen Aita, if you have a $100,000 estate, we'll charge about $3,500 INCLUDING expenses. And guess what we'll charge for a $1 million estate? Yep, about $3,500 including expenses. The amount of legal work, assuming there are no disputes among heirs or other glitches, is exactly the same for a $100,000 estate as for a $1 million estate. How does the California scheme seem fair and right? This is why things like Revocable Living Trusts and other probate avoidance techniques are much more popular in California than they are in places like Washington and Idaho with much more client-friendly attorneys fees laws and ethics rules.

We know things are weird right now, but life is still going on. The passing of a loved one is part of that, and our current situation isn't making that any easier. If you have a need for a probate lawyer in Washington or Idaho, give us a call at 253.858.5434. We're here to help!

We're still here!

We're still here! Although we're telecommuting, we continue to serve, advise, and represent our clients during this COVID-19 crisis. We're not scheduling any in-person meetings, but are entirely available to meet by phone, email, or video conference.

* 253.858.5434 * steve@aitalaw.com * www.aitalaw.com *

While we're all hunkered down at home, this is a good time to take care of some things you've been putting off - like preparing an estate plan.

While we're all hunkered down at home, this is a good time to take care of some of those things you've been putting off. You've got the time, so you might as well schedule a telephone or video conference appointment with a lawyer to talk about preparing an estate plan, e.g., a Will, a Durable Power of Attorney, Trusts, a Community Property Agreement, Living Wills, or whatever other estate planning documents fit your family's goals and situation.

Although we're not currently meeting with clients in person, we are entirely available to meet by phone or by whatever video conferencing service is most convenient for you - Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, or Facebook Messenger. We can meet, talk about an estate plan that works best for you and your family, prepare the documents, email them to you for review and approval, and then we'll figure out a date and time to get everything signed, witnessed, and notarized when the world returns to normal. Give us a call at 253.858.5434 to set something up today.

We know this is a rough time for everybody, but we can get through this together, and the Law Offices of P. Stephen Aita are here to help!

The SBA has issued a new disaster declaration, allowing low interest liquidity loans to qualified small businesses suffering economic injury as a result of coronavirus.

To our small business clients - The U.S. Small Business Administration has amended its original disaster declaration to allow low interest liquidity loans to small businesses suffering substantial economic injury as a result of coronavirus. Small businesses in all Washington counties may qualify under these terms. This update intends to provide liquidity aid to small businesses during these challenging times by making sure credit is available when it may not otherwise be obtainable. Funding may be available for businesses that are unable to access working capital on reasonable terms through traditional lending sources. The loans are intended to provide vital economic support to small businesses overcoming temporary losses of revenue. Proceeds can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and "other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster's impact."

These loans are available in amounts up to $2 million with proceeds being limited to the economic injury determined by the SBA on a case-by-case basis. The loan term length can be up to a maximum of 30 years with a fixed interest rate of 3.75% for for-profit enterprises, and 2.75% for nonprofits. The loan application at minimum requires certain documentation including a completed IRS Form 4506-T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return), complete copies of most recently available business Federal Income Tax Return, personal financial statement (SBA Form 413) for owners of 20% or more of the business, and a schedule of all liabilities of the company. The SBA has provided guidance that loan decisions could exceed 2-3 weeks so it is important to get an application started soon if a loan is desired.

This is not the only source of disaster relief currently available, and there are other SBA or non-SBA programs that may be better suited to your business's needs.

We recommend that you consult with both your CPA and your existing lenders when considering this or other liquidity solutions. If you want to discuss your options, please connect with us at 253.858.5434. We're here to help!

Coronavirus Response: Our office is open, but not scheduling in-person meetings. We are available to meet by phone or video conference.

As the coronavirus affects our community, particularly here in the great State of Washington, the Law Offices of P. Stephen Aita continue to assist our clients that may need our help. While our office remains open with normal hours, and with our clients' health and safety as our primary concern, we are not scheduling any in-person meetings for the next month or so, but remain entirely available for meetings via telephone or Skype or FaceTime, whichever is most convenient for our clients. Let us know how we can help you during this stressful time.

Questions to Ask When Hiring an Estate Planning Lawyer

When you're planning to meet with an estate planning lawyer, you should ask the lawyer the following list of questions in order to determine if they're truly qualified to help you:

IS THE LAWYER'S PRIMARY FOCUS ON ESTATE PLANNING? This question may or may not be important to you from the standpoint that if all you need is a simple Will, Power of Attorney, and Health Care Directive, then a seasoned and sophisticated attorney may not be right for you.

A lawyer whose practice is broad but includes simple estate planning and probate matters will work just fine in this situation. On the other hand, if you have a complicated family or financial situation or a taxable estate, then you'll need to work with someone whose primary focus is on estate planning and estate tax reduction.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. The more years of experience the lawyer has, the more the lawyer will have had the opportunity to see their essential estate planning documents in action when a client becomes disabled or dies. The Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney and Health Care Directives used by lawyers who have been in business for a while have been revised and tweaked to deal with the everyday situations that their clients encounter. This will give you the peace of mind to know that the documents they prepare for you will work when they're needed.

ASSISTANCE WITH FUNDING ASSETS INTO A REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST. Many lawyers create beautiful estate plans for their clients but then fail to assist them with the next important step: funding the revocable living trust. A well-drafted trust will be virtually useless immediately after you die if your assets aren't titled in the name of the trust while you're still alive. Some big law firms have full-time funding assistants or even entire funding departments, while others will give you comprehensive written instructions. Still, others will merely mention the importance of funding but fail to give you any guidance whatsoever. We strongly recommend that you work with a lawyer who will oversee the funding process.

FORMAL UPDATING AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS. Many estate planning lawyers view their work as a one-time transaction - they simply draft the documents requested by their clients and then send them on their way. On the other hand, there are many estate planning lawyers, like us, who will contact all of their clients on a regular basis to inform them of changes in the law, explain new estate planning techniques, ask about life changes that will require modifications in the client's documents, and to check up on the progress of the client's funding. In our case, we do this review every three or four years for every client.

We strongly recommend working with a lawyer who has a formal updating and maintenance program because this will ensure that your plan will remain up to date and work when it's needed.

FLAT FEES VS. HOURLY RATES. This is an important question to ask so that you won't be surprised by hidden fees and costs. At our law firm, we charge a fixed fee for most, if not all, estate planning legal services. This will give you the peace of mind to know that the flat fee is all that you'll be required to pay. You'll need to understand, however, what the flat fee does and doesn't cover and when the lawyer will charge an additional flat fee or start billing you on an hourly basis.

CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF WORKING CLOSELY WITH THIS LAWYER? Once your prospective lawyer has answered the above questions to your satisfaction, there's still one big question you need to ask yourself: "Can I see myself working closely with this lawyer?" Even if the lawyer has all of the right answers, keep in mind that you'll be sharing all of the intimate details of your life with this person. If you don't feel comfortable with the lawyer, then chances are you'll end up holding certain things back. This will be doing you and the lawyer a disservice since the lawyer can't plan for, or around, things that the lawyer doesn't know. Don't be alarmed if you realize that it simply won't be a good fit with you and the prospective lawyer — it's better to find this out in the very beginning instead of after you've already spent valuable time and money. If this happens to you, simply move on until you find someone who you can work with and trust.

If you're looking for an estate planning lawyer in Washington or Idaho, give us call at 253.858.5434 to set up an appointment today.

Lawyers Helping Hungry Children Annual Fundraiser Luncheon on April 23 in Seattle - Registration Opens on March 1

Lawyers Helping Hungry Children has just announced that its annual fundraiser luncheon will be held on April 23 at Plymouth Congregational Church in Seattle. Registration opens on March 1; keynote speaker to be announced later. LHHC provides lawyer and law firm volunteers and raises funds to benefit Northwest Harvest, CARE's World Hunger Campaign, the King County Emergency Feeding Program, and the City of Seattle Summer Food Service Program. If you would like to attend the fundraiser or otherwise donate to Lawyers Helping Hungry Children, call our office and we'll give you a hand.

Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples in Long-Term Committed Relationships

If you are not married to your partner, each of you should make sure to craft a thorough estate plan to provide for the other in the event of death or incapacity. Otherwise, your partner or you will not receive anything if the other dies. Your state's laws of intestate succession provide that an individual’s property is distributed among their closest relatives if they die without a Will.

Writing a will allows you to leave assets to your partner and also name a guardian for any young children. If neither parent is available to raise a child, a court will appoint a guardian. It generally will honor the choice of the parents unless this appears to be a serious mistake. In the event that your partner is not a legal parent of a child, you can name them as the guardian. (If the child’s other legal parent is still alive and available, however, their rights probably will trump your partner’s rights.)

LIVING TRUSTS. Many people choose to create a trust during their lifetime. This can replace or complement a Will. A trust contains the same assets that a Will would convey, and it allows the beneficiaries of the trust to avoid probate, which is required for a Will. Some trusts are revocable, while others are irrevocable, so you should think about whether you want to retain the ability to change your decision later. Trusts that are designed to benefit unmarried partners are no different from trusts designed for spouses, children, or other relatives.

LIVING WILLS AND DURABLE POWERS OF ATTORNEY. In the event that you become incapacitated, you likely will want your partner to have authority over financial and medical matters affecting you. A health care power of attorney and a "living will" will allow your partner to handle medical decisions and make sure that your wishes for end-of-life care are respected. Meanwhile, a financial power of attorney will give your partner control over your assets if you are incapacitated. This can allow them to keep up with a shared mortgage or other expenses without going to court for a hearing on whether you are incapacitated and whether your partner is the appropriate person to make these decisions for you.

ESTABLISHING JOINT OWNERSHIP OF ASSETS. In addition to making estate planning documents, you can adjust your ownership of certain valuable types of property to be held in a joint tenancy with a right of survivorship. Thus, your partner or you will automatically inherit these assets in their entirety when one of you dies. This is usually a simple matter of putting both names on the title document of the asset, such as the deed to a house.

BANK ACCOUNTS, INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS, AND RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS. Certain types of property cannot be transferred through your Will. This may be comforting in some ways because it means that intestate succession rules do not apply. However, you may want to make sure to designate your partner as the beneficiary of the funds in these accounts. This involves getting a beneficiary designation form from the entity in charge of the account and putting your partner’s name on the form. As with Wills, these forms can be changed at any time.

If you have estate planning questions, give us a call at 253.858.5434 to set up an appointment today. We represent and advise clients throughout Washington and Idaho and are available to meet in person, by phone, or via Skype or FaceTime.

Notable Tax and Estate Planning Changes Under the SECURE Act of 2019

As part of the December 2019 government spending package, Congress passed the SECURE Act (which stand for "Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement"), which has some significant changes for income tax, retirement, and estate planning. As with any new tax law, the SECURE Act provides new obstacles to navigate as well as some changes that are intended to make retirement more accessible to Americans.

The most notable change under the SECURE Act is the elimination of "stretch IRAs." Under the previous law, distributions from an IRA or 401(k) plan inherited by a non-spouse beneficiary were able to be spread over the life expectancy of the beneficiary (typically 20 to 30 years). Most commonly under the old law, adult children (say in their 50s or 60s) would have been able to slowly draw down an inherited IRA account over 20 to 30 years, giving more time for earnings accumulation and tax-deferred growth in the account. Under the SECURE Act, inherited IRAs and 401(k) plan assets of a non-spouse beneficiary now must be distributed within 10-years following the death of the account holder. This rule applies to inherited non-spousal IRAs as well as Roth IRAs after January 1, 2020. If you are a beneficiary of an inherited IRA or 401(k) and the original owner passed away prior to January 1, 2020, the SECURE Act will not change those distributions.

Other notable provisions of the SECURE Act include:

* Repeals the maximum age (which was 70 ½), for being able to make Traditional IRA contributions
* Increases the age from 70 ½ to 72 for Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
* Allows penalty free withdrawal of up to $5,000 from a 401(k) or IRA for a "qualified birth or adoption" expenses
* Up to $10,000 can be withdrawn from 529 plans to pay off certain student loans
* Brings back the "Kiddie Tax" for tax years beginning after December 31, 2019
* Small businesses (less than 100 employees) can receive up to $5,000 in tax credit for starting a workplace retirement plan

For more information about how the SECURE Act can affect your estate plan, contact us at 253.858.5434. We're here to help!

Funding Your Revocable Living Trust

Once you’ve created a revocable living trust, there’s one more crucial step: formally transferring assets to the trust. This is called “funding the trust”—and if you don’t do it, your trust will have no effect on how your property is transferred after your death. The assets you thought would be controlled by the terms of the trust will pass instead under your Will or, if you don’t leave a Will, under state intestate succession law.

It’s very common for people to neglect the funding step altogether, or to leave out valuable assets. Many people assume, if they hired a lawyer to draft the trust document, that the lawyer will also take care of the funding. But that’s not always the case, so be sure to check with your lawyer and be clear about your responsibilities.

If an asset that you want to hold in trust has a document showing who owns it, then you’ll need a new ownership (title) document, showing that the asset is now held in trust. Common examples include:

* Real estate
* Stocks
* Bank and brokerage accounts
* Cars and other vehicles
* Copyrights and patents

So, if you want to hold your house in your living trust, you’ll need to prepare, sign, and record a new deed, showing that the property is held in your trust. If you want to transfer bank or brokerage accounts to your trust, contact the financial institution and ask that ownership be changed in its records. The institution may ask to see a copy of the trust document, as evidence that the trust actually exists.

Lots of assets, including many valuable ones, don’t have official title documents. For example, you might want to hold your jewelry or artwork in your trust, or heirlooms that have significant sentimental value. You can do that by listing the items in the trust document (commonly a list, or schedule, of property is attached to the trust document). If you want to make more of a paper trail, you can create a simple document called an Assignment of Property or "Bill of Sale." It transfers assets from you as an individual to you as trustee of your trust.

If you have questions about how revocable living trusts work and whether they would be a could option for your estate plan, give us a call at 253.858.5434 to set up an appointment today.

Representing Clients in Auto-Pedestrian Injury Cases

Going for a walk or a run can turn into a tragic life-changing event if you get hit by a car. As a pedestrian struck by a motor vehicle, you have many of the same rights as people injured in car crashes. Any time a driver’s negligence results in injuries or death to a pedestrian, the pedestrian and/or their family members are entitled to compensation for the harm.

Just like other car crash cases, pedestrians injured due to motor vehicle driver negligence are entitled to recover the cost of medical bills, lost earnings, and pain, suffering, and disability damages. In wrongful death cases, certain family members are generally entitled to damages for the loss of their loved one, as well as loss of financial support.

Usually, drivers have liability insurance, and compensation for pedestrian injuries and death is obtained through the driver’s auto insurance company. Once the extent of the damages is clear (usually when the claimant completes or is nearing the end of medical treatment), the value of a claim can be determined and the parties begin negotiating settlement. Generally there is an insurance adjuster assigned to the case early on who handles negotiations on behalf of the liability insurance company.

Adjusters are trained to downplay and minimize the extent of the harm, to try to save the insurance company money. Without an experienced lawyer, claimants are often pressured into a quick settlement compensating only a fraction of their true damages. Before accepting any settlement, we recommend that you consult with an experienced lawyer.

In pedestrian injury cases, sometimes the driver’s insurance policy is insufficient to cover the full extent of damages, and sometimes drivers have no auto insurance. In these situations, the injured pedestrian may be entitled to additional recovery under their own underinsured motorist (UIM) policy. UIM coverage comes into play when the value of a claim exceeds the value of the at-fault driver’s liability insurance policy. It is important to note that there are certain procedural rules that must be followed in asserting a UIM claim and failure to follow these rules may result in loss of coverage. An experienced lawyer will know what to do to avoid these pitfalls, as well as how to determine if any other insurance coverage is available (such as through the driver’s home owner’s insurance or umbrella coverage).

Due to the severity of harm in pedestrian injury cases, claimants often find it difficult or impossible to bear the cost of medical expenses. Just like in car crash cases, pedestrian injury cases trigger personal injury protection (PIP) coverage under the applicable auto insurance policies. PIP coverage is a no-fault benefit through auto insurance that covers medical expenses, as well as portions of an injured person’s wage loss. Since PIP is a no-fault benefit, you are entitled to coverage regardless of who was at fault for the incident.
In Washington, PIP is applied differently in pedestrian injury cases as opposed to other car crash cases. In car crash cases, those injured are normally entitled to PIP coverage under their own auto insurance policy and/or the auto insurance policy applicable to the car they are riding in—not under the other driver’s insurance policy. In contrast, pedestrians hit by cars are entitled to PIP benefits under the driver’s insurance policy. This protects pedestrians who may not have their own PIP coverage, such as those who do not own a car and thus do not have auto insurance.

In pedestrian injury cases, the driver’s PIP policy is considered primary, meaning that is the first fund used to pay for medical bills. Once the driver’s PIP is used up (or if the driver does not have PIP coverage), then the pedestrian’s own PIP kicks in as the secondary source of coverage. This is one example where you may have rights under your auto insurance policy even though you were not driving your car. If you use up the entirety of all PIP coverage under both policies, then health insurance is the final source of coverage.

If you have questions about a pedestrian/vehicle injury case, give us ac all at 253.858.5434 to set up an appointment today.

By addressing legal issues early and regularly, small business owners can ensure that their business's components are functioning as well as they can.

If you approached medical issues the way that most small business owners approach legal issues, you would do this: you would avoid regular checkups; you would get all of your medical information from WebMD; you would ignore weird pains, rashes, or other symptoms; you would attempt to set your own broken bones. Ultimately, you would address all of your medical issues on the surgeon’s table or in the emergency room.

Waiting until a legal issue turns into a dispute is like waiting for a mild medical symptom to turn into something that requires an operation. And imagine that insurance doesn’t cover the operation and the doctor won’t operate unless you pay a good portion of their bill in advance. This approach is expensive, disruptive, and potentially deadly.

Yet this is how so many small business owners approach legal issues. They avoid talking to lawyers until they need the attention of a litigator and their correspondingly high bills. That’s like solving all of your medical problems in the operating room. But, by addressing legal issues early and regularly, small business owners can actually decrease their chances of needing a litigator’s services. Not always — but often (just like we can’t always avoid needing surgery, even if we do everything right).

By seeking a lawyer's advice early on, you are actually investing in your business by ensuring that all of its components are functioning as well as they can. You are being proactive and making sure that, for instance, the brand name that you have chosen can actually get trademark protection or that your contracts actually work in your favor.

By getting the legal issues right the first time, businesses can actually put themselves in a better position to maximize other investments. They can get better terms from suppliers or partners, ensure robust brand protection, and make sure that they have chosen the right type of business entity for their venture. Finally, by having regular a relationship with a lawyer, small business owners can nip potential legal issues in the bud, when they are cheap to fix.

No matter what, all small businesses should know that legal will be part of their budget. The difference is that by hiring a business lawyer early on, and working with them as a partner as your business grows, you get to control how that money is spent, instead of waiting for a litigator to present you with a bill.

If you're a small business owner and have questions about how we can be of service, give us a call at 253.858.5434 to set up an appointment today. We represent clients throughout Washington and Idaho and are available to meet in person, by phone, or via Skype or FaceTime.